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The Situational Approach Of Leadership

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The word leadership has a lot of meanings, but its meaning is unique to the person who is giving the definition. Leadership is the ability to guide, direct, and motivate others to accomplish a mission or task. It is the ability to make subordinates see their own potential in their abilities and supervisors recognize and respect it. Leaders are entrusted with building up those they lead to ensure the individual can one day assume the responsibility of leading others. It is for this reason that the situational approach style of leadership best describes my leadership style. The situational approach stresses that leadership is composed of both a directive and a supportive dimension, and that each has to be applied appropriately in a given situation (Northouse, 2016). I recently retired from the Army after doing 20 years of active federal service. I was a sergeant after three years, made staff sergeant after six, and at my 11 year mark I decided to put in a warrant officer packet, in which I got accepted to become Warrant Officer 1. The young men and women that I had the privilege of leading all came from different walks of life, were different age, and had different levels of experience. This is why I identify more with the situational approach. To determine what is needed in a particular situation, a leader must evaluate her or his followers and assess how competent and committed they are to perform a given goal (Northouse, 2016). As a leader I had to

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