6 Ways Situational Leaders Spot the Learning Opportunity

Good management is all about taking advantage of each situation as a learning opportunity…for you as well as for your followers. That’s what we highlight in our situational leadership training. Learn to spot and assess the situation…then act appropriately to guide your team members’ development.

And what about your own learning? Being a good leader and manager is not easy. It takes dedication to the team and a focus on how to lead that team to the goals that you all have set. Over three-quarters of team failures are due to ineffective managers. Their success and yours depends on your knowing how to manage well. 

Based upon lessons from over twenty years of situational leadership training programs, here are the top six things you need to do to be a smart and effective manager. 

1. Be an effective communicator
   As a situational leader, it is critical that you clearly establish roles and responsibilities. There should be no question about what each team member needs to do to pull their weight and contribute to the overall goal. 
2. Hold yourself and team members accountable
   Situational leaders set the standards of behavior and make performance transparent to all. When team members excel, they should be appropriately recognized. When their performance falls short, there should be an immediate response to support improvement. 
3. Care about the individuals on your team
   The best situational leaders and managers are invested in the success and growth of their employees. They know the motivators, strengths, and ambitions of each. They recognize that their role is to marshal the team through its individual members to reach as high as they can. Good managers provide development opportunities so their followers are challenged to grow.
4. Be a hands-on situational leader
   Good managers get involved. They set the example of hard work and open communication. They insist upon an environment of mutual respect and cooperation because they know how critical a trusting culture is to team success.
5. Make good decisions
   No matter how strong a team, there will be conflicts. A good situational leader knows how to listen, assess the situation and sensitively, but positively, decide how to move forward. 
6. Be straightforward
   Team members appreciate being well informed. They want to know how well the company is doing and what plans there are for the future. When change is needed, it is important for managers to communicate the rationale behind the change and guide their team toward behavior that supports the organization’s business strategy.

Download Situational Leadership Toolkit