Theories in Action at Chief Executive: Part 2

Throughout my time with Chief Executive Group, I have found that Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Model is highly relevant in describing the operation and effectiveness of the organization. Hersey and Blanchard’s theory of leadership is centered around the ideology that the most effective leadership style requires leaders to adapt their approach depending on the specific situation they are in. This entails adjusting their leadership style to match the specific performance readiness of their followers. In order to do so, leaders must determine the right balance of relational behavior and task-oriented behavior to express towards their followers based on which leadership style they believe will make their followers the most productive. Thus, there is no “best leadership style” because, in order for leadership to be effective, it must continuously adapt in tandem with the progression of their followers.

This theory is highly relevant to the leadership I have observed at Chief Executive Group because it illustrates why a participating leadership style has proven to be so successful for the organization. First, all the team members are highly skilled at their jobs and confident in their ability to complete projects. They also take pride in the overall success of the company, making them highly willing to do their work to the best of their ability. This notion has been exemplified in the team-wide effort to help the company succeed despite the difficulties posed by COVID-19. For example, during our remote meetings, team members often offer to help one another with projects without having to be asked to do so. The team’s willingness to wear many hats and do whatever it takes to ensure that the organization remains prosperous during the pandemic suggests that they are a highly mature group of followers. As a result, team members don’t require much direction from their leaders because they are trusted to make good decisions that will benefit the organization as a whole. Additionally, the leaders demonstrate that they highly value the opinions of their followers by encouraging them to give feedback regarding both what they like about the operation of the organization and what they believe should change. This highly collaborative dynamic suggests that the leaders have implemented a participative leadership style in response to the high-performance readiness exhibited by their followers.