The theories series volume 1: Situational leadership would you rather.

As previously announced via S Club 7 references (sidebar: S Club 7 is now following me on Twitter because of that last post... it's okay to be jealous), this week I am beginning the first volume of the Theories Series in order to make leadership theories make sense.

Volume 1: We will begin the series by talking about the ever-quoted Situational Leadership Theory. Originally "coined" by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard in the swingin seventies, the SLM dictates that there is no single "best" style of leadership. And thus, the most successful leaders are those who can adapt their style to the ever-changing environmental conditions that surround them. Furthermore, the theory rests on two fundamental concepts: leadership style and the "maturity level" of any given group/individual that is being led.

Now, at it's core, this theory seems quite simple. But, once we begin to unpack the different leadership styles and what a "maturity level" entails (no, unfortunately they are not talking about people who laugh hysterically at fart jokes vs. people who don't appreciate potty humour) things can become convoluted.

So instead of boring you all to tears with technical leadership babble and too many "et. al"s to count, we are going to play a game of Would You Rather. Here we go...

You are Lliam Neeson's daughter in the movie Taken. You are young, inexperienced, and very naive. Several large, hideous men have just broken into your apartment in France...

WOULD YOU RATHER ... 1) Papa Lliam phones you and asks you how you are feeling, supports you through these emotions and then works with you to decide your course of action together; OR 2) Papa Lliam says "Listen to me. You are going to be taken. I need you to do the following things and focus..."

The first option is the "Participating" leadership style and is often effective if the group or individual at the "Capable but Unwilling" maturity level. The group/individuals need guidance and support in order to take responsibility for the completion of their task. The second option (your choice, I assume), is an example of the "Telling" leadership style, paired with the "Unable and Insecure" maturity level. This style is most used in situations where the group or individuals being led lack necessary skills or are unable to complete the task at hand.

Okay ... next one - You are a good public speaker who has being speaking in front of groups for years. You are ready to take your career to the next level and seek out an experienced motivational speaker to help you progress.

WOULD YOU RATHER... 1) Your new leader listens to every presentation that you deliver, then sits you down and explains to you all the things you could do to improve, OR 2) Your new leader focuses on getting to know you and where your confidence comes from, helps you build a network and leads you to find the best ways to deliver your message.

The first option demonstrates the "Selling" leadership style, often most effective with the "Unable and Willing" level of maturity, which focuses on providing direction and support to enthusiastic learners. The second option (more favourable here), is an example of the "Delegating" style of leadership as it allows the "Capable and Confident" individual to take responsibility for their growth while being supported by their leader along the way.

Hopefully, the above examples have shown you the different situational leadership styles - Telling, Selling, Participating and Delegating in action and how they interact with the different maturity levels - Unable but insecure, Unable and willing, Capable but unwilling, Capable and confident. Another important thing to note is that, depending on the task, an individual or group can have a different level of maturity. It all depends on the SITUATION at hand.

So, next time you find yourself in any situation that calls upon your leadership ... think of what your team member would rather given their task-specific abilities and needs, instead of choosing your leadership approach based on your own abilities and needs ... you'll be surprised by what you come up with.

And, as always, I will leave you with a quote that sums up this theory in a wonderful way ...

"We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust our sails." - Bertha Calloway

Let's talk tangibles

First things first, I'd like to start by saying how irritating leadership is... well, as a concept at least. How many articles can you read about being transformational before you LITERALLY transform into something else? Not that it wouldn't be wicked to be an AutoBot, it's just that I don't see how it relates to my abilities as a leader. Wait, I like this tangent ... let's think about Optimus Prime for a second ... talk about leadership! He casually saves all of EARTH and it's not even his own planet. I digress, the point is that we need to blow up the buzz words and start talking like real humans (or OpPri) in order to fully understand what leadership is and, in turn, become better leaders ourselves.

Now, I'm not saying that all of the literature and research on leadership isn't beneficial for our development ... I'm just saying that there's WAY too much of it to boil down to create our own leadership style. If we have any How I Met Your Mother fans out there, it would be a hell of a lot like Ted's first day as a professor ... for those who aren't fans, become fans.

In order to open the leadership Cryptex, I believe that we need to focus on the tangibles. The see, feel, touch, hear, dos and don'ts of day to day leadership ... they make the difference. It isn't the transformational vision of the CEO of AmeriCorpCapitalMarketMegaBros & Co.. It's the day to day moments, the "be all you can be" of every day life ... THAT'S leadership in its truest form.

So what are these moments? Well, they are all around us. To quote Mother Teresa (get used to her, she's my GIRL), "We cannot all do great things, but we can all do small things with great love." Now, I recognize that this sounds pretty damn cheesy ... but hear me out. The thing about small things is that they are never small things. Think about the last time that a complete stranger smiled at you on the street. After the minor  I-may-know-him-but-don't-recognize-him-but-don't-want-to-look-like-a-forgetful-jerk inner panic that you felt, didn't you feel AWESOME? That random dude with the cool hat just looked at you and flashed his pearly whites, for no other reason than the fact that he thought your hat was cool too ... or whatever accessory you were rocking that day. He didn't have to smile - he could've frowned, scowled, or worse, flashed you some weird hand gesture that made you feel uncomfortable... but he didn't. He smiled. A good old-fashioned Mister Rogers smile.

These moments are what I'm talking about. They are tangible. You can feel them, remember them, share them with someone else ... and most importantly, they ignite your heart. They light your pilot light on days when you definitely aren't heating the whole swimming pool to a comfortable 80 degrees (Fahrenheit ... ofcourse, we want to keep our skin if at all possible). These moments make you better, even if you don't realize it at the time. Because of these moments, you are a better person for at least the whole day ... at least. And that is something that should not be taken lightly, especially in the world that we live in today.

So, to finish off my very first post I want to leave you with this thought: How many times a day do you choose to frown instead of smile?