Running head: Situational Leadership Case 1

Situational Leadership Case Study

William J. Tarbush

Grand Canyon University

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Situational Leadership Case Study

This paper will stand as a case study in which a local high school department head has a

majority of students in the department failing. The department head must change curricula,

textbooks, and assignments. There will be some pushback in such a situation and this change

must happen with the smallest educational footprint possible. It is important to me as a

contracted adjunct instructor at a local college. In order to give this doctoral student an accurate

display of leadership skills in such a difficult situation, Grand Canyon University provided an

assessment of situational leadership skills. The assignment is important to me in order to educate

me on the need and my personal ability to move an organization through a crisis.

Summary of Self-Assessments

The self-assessment provided tells this writer that he is a better seller or coach than a

delegator, teller, or participator. This was unexpected to this writer. My preferred leadership

style is as a coach or seller, yet I do not consider myself the best of leaders. In my professional

experiences of the past, I found myself attempting to sell an idea rather than simply telling

employees what to do. I am surprised as I see that in an ideal situation, I would rather allow the

employees to decide their future with minimal supervision rather than attempting to suggest to

them what would be best.

Applying Leadership Style

My preferred leadership style may not always work in a situation such as the one

provided. There are a very diverse group of individuals offering pushback in a midterm change

of curricula, textbooks, and assignments. A department head at a high school may find that

coaching works with employees in the department. He may also find that pushback from students

is more difficult. In order to bridge this possible difficulty, a focus group of students may be very
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useful. This focus group could be made of a specially elected or selected group or the student

council at this high school. Supporting (Northouse, 2013) is excellent for working with

department workers in this high school situation. This type of supporting comes from quadrant

S3 and would be optimal for working with department employees. Students in this focus group

would need more of a coaching style. This would come from quadrant S2 (Northouse, 2013) on

figure 5.1 in Northouse’s textbook. Adults who are less affected by the situation and the

principal and board of education must be treated in different manners altogether. The principal

and board of education and possibly affected adults would have to be treated with a directing

position from quadrant S1. Parents may be included in the focus group, yet that would require a

wider and different net for leading the focus group.

Ideally, this situation would not happen. With great educators, students can learn under

almost any environment. In many states, certain selected textbooks would be authorized by the

state or school district. It is possible that completely hiring new educators will be necessary

under a widespread failing department. I do not believe that a department head with a failing

department should be kept, yet with teacher tenure and the teacher’s union, this may be

necessary. Parents should be included, yet the latitude required to choose a new textbook and

curricula in the middle of a year should not be attempted lightly. The time required to choose a

new curricula is time wasted towards teaching students. An educator must educate. These are all

factors that must be weighed in deciding what a student, parent, teacher, and school

administrator can offer. Pushback should be expected.

Except for learning, there is little I can do to learn how to tell or participate in an

organization. Except for contract work, where I have very little latitude in choosing textbooks, I

do not work. In my opinion, this makes me a very poor student of leadership. Ideally, a leader
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should have some authority. I have none, except for over students. In my family relationships,

when I suggest something I am often given a lot of pushback. I cannot lead without authority,

which I simply do not have in any situation. I can become the best coach I can be, yet cannot

become a teller. Participatory leadership may be possible, but besides offering a good example, I

see little strength to that position. I will be that example. That example makes me a strong

worker, but not a leader.

When given leadership positions, I will work the best to tell. I have no authority in any

situation that I am aware of now. While I am a father and the position may be possible with my

daughter, I am overridden by other family members when I make my own decisions. Telling,

which is my weakness in leadership, requires authority. Otherwise, the leader is simply a dictator

or bully.

Benefits and Challenges

Situational leadership requires that one modify their personal leadership styles towards

the situation. The weakness is that some leaders simply excel at some leadership styles, but

waffle and fail at others. The strength is that some demographics may require more or less

directive forms of leadership. For example, I see no opportunity for a department head changing

a curricula mid-year. The best course of action, in my opinion, is to simply ask for the

resignation of every educator in a department and continue the year with new hires. While

changing curricula mid-year at a college would be possible, it is not at a high school. Teachers of

K-12 leaders are seen as responsible for the learning of their students. Instructors at colleges and

junior colleges are not responsible for the learning of their students, in the opinion of the masses.

Summary
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The benefits of situational leadership seem small for me. While I understand that tact is

required in every situation and different leadership styles for the same diverse situations, all

leadership requires authority. Peers can grant this authority, yet this does not happen in my

situation often. Since I have little authority in my daily life, except for some granted when I am

alone with my daughter, I see no salutation or strength to changing leadership styles. I should

take little authority and attempt to sell other people my point of view. This may require

subterfuge and risk. Leaders have led from the royal courts in the past by convincing those with

power that their personal opinion is best for the prince. This is the kind of subterfuge I will need

to exercise in order to keep authority.

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References

Northouse, Peter G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice. Los Angeles, CA: Sage

Publications. ISBN 978-1-4522-0340-9. (Available as eBook.)