Theories – Situational Leadership

As I finish up my internship, I think that I can apply many more theories of leadership to not just my supervisor but to each of the members of my office. One theory that really sticks out is Hersey and Blanchard’s situational theory. This theory states, in simple terms, that a leader adapts their leadership methods based on the situation. While there are many other theories that could be applied as well, this one seems to wrap up all Mr. Bercherm’s attributes into one.

Like I have previously mentioned in my posts, Mr. Berchem is a very casual and charismatic leader. He jokes around a lot in the office with all of his followers. In this regard, he comes across as a relaxed leader. However, in more serious situations, I have seen Mr. Berchem become much more serious and change his tone completely. If there is a serious matter, or if another person is giving Mr. Bercherm a hard time he will stop making jokes and become serious and stern. This is important because it shows that he, as a leader, knows when he needs to switch from being a friend to being a leader.

Another situation that I have noticed a shift in leadership styles is during depositions. Over the course of the summer, I participated in all of the depositions for a complicated insurance lawsuit. I noticed that with each deposed person, Mr. Berchem treated both the deposed and the other lawyers differently. In this situation, he was very serious for most of the depositions. While he might have cracked a joke to make the deposed feel more relaxed, for the most part, he was always serious and he was not afraid to raise his voice and argue with the other lawyers. This is very different than the way he would act in the office among his direct followers. This demonstrates his switch in leadership styles to each situation. I find that this style is very effective because it allows Mr. Bercherm to connect with different followers in the ways that will be best suited for that person and that situation.