The situational leadership approach is one that has been around for some time and is quite effective. To understand situational leadership one must first gain knowledge as to what it is and how it is used. “Situational Leadership stresses that leadership is composed of both a directive and supportive dimension and that each has to be applied appropriately in a given situation” (Northouse, 2013).

Not all styles or approaches of leadership can be used in every situation and be effective. For instance, when working with younger students, one would not want to use the same leadership approach that would be used with adults and vice versa. An effective leader will understand this concept and be able to distinguish when it is appropriate and necessary to use. Each style of this leadership approach is different than the next and we refer to the Hersey-Blanchard Theory to gain more perspective on this approach.

Each day in a professional setting presents a unique and differing challenge the previous day. Great leaders need to be prepared for each challenge and situation that they will face when dealing with their subordinates. As previously mentioned, the leader of an organization will need to know when it is appropriate to use which style of situational leadership. This document provides suggestions as to ways one can manage challenges at hand with situational leadership. To become a great leader, one must realize attributes and qualities they will need to possess to achieve their leadership and organizational goals.

Now that we have established what situational leadership is and why it should be utilized, we change focus to what we can do with this knowledge. In any instance that requires a revamping in leadership style or a complete overhaul, leaders of the organization should know what change they would like to see moving forward. This leadership approach is easy to follow with styles S1-S4 and is helpful in determining what level of this approach is to be used. Styles will differ amongst organizations, for instance; working with 4-H youth will require the S2 (Coaching) or S3 (Supporting) style a majority of the time. If the organization is focused on completing tasks and accomplishing their goals, they may want to take an S1 (Directing) style approach. Again, understanding each style is a key factor in using the Situational Leadership Approach and recommendations as how to implement this style can be found here.