Leadership

Each company or organization is unique and has different requirements in order for their leaders and its people to be successful. Victor Vroom and Fred Fiedler introduced leadership models that could assist leaders in taking the most effective action in any given situation. This is referred to as a Situational Approach to Leadership. According to (Bateman, 2011) “The leader should first analyze the situation and then decide what to do”. Although very similar in what these models try to accomplish, they achieve it in different ways. The Vroom Model of Leadership focuses on how well, or poorly the team participates in a given situation. The Fiedler Contingency Model of Leadership Effectiveness focuses on the leadership style of person in charge, as well as the power that person has over a specific situation. The Vroom Model of Leadership consists of five decision making strategies which are: decide, delegate, consult an individual, consult a group, and facilitate. To use this process, a leader must begin with a problem statement. Then, he or she asks a series of seven “high / low” questions that will lead them to a certain strategy to use. Although other strategies can also be applied, the style that the leader comes upon will be the fastest at providing a solution. Vroom shows autocratic styles (decide / delegate), consultative styles (consult individual or group), and a collaborative style (facilitation). In general, an autocratic style is most appropriate when the leader is comfortable and confident in their decision, when there is a limited amount of time available, and when the leader is a subject matter expert. Consultative and collaborative leadership styles are more beneficial when there is time and resources available, there is a need for team “buy-in”, and when team members have more expertise than the leader. The Vroom Model can be very effective if it is used properly. At first, this model may seem confusing making it ineffective. However, leaders who