Leadership Styles Compare similarities and contrasts between the Tannenbaum-Schmidt Continuum of Leader Behavior with Fiedler’s Leadership Contingency Model. Submission Instructions Your initial p

Leadership Models

Jennifer Bacuylima

St. Thomas University

Group & Org Behavior (LDR3180-OL2)

Dr. Scott Gillig

July 14, 2024

Leadership Models

The Tannenbaum-Schmidt Continuum and Fiedler’s Leadership Contingency Model are two leadership models that focus on leadership behavior and its success. However, they are quite different from each other and highlight various aspects of leadership.

Similarities

Both models also acknowledge that leadership effectiveness is not solely based on the personality of the leader but on other factors as well. The Tannenbaum-Schmidt Continuum defined a spectrum from an autocratic to a democratic leadership approach while stressing the importance of the situational and followership requirements for choosing an appropriate leadership behavior. Also, Fiedler's Contingency Model was founded on the belief that the appropriateness of leadership styles depends on the interaction between the leader and the followers, the nature of the tasks assigned to the group, and the extent of the leader's power (Ayman & Lauritsen, 2018). This situational dependency once again underlines the notion that leadership cannot be a one-approach activity. Furthermore, both models suggest that one has to be flexible and adaptable in order to lead effectively. The Tannenbaum-Schmidt Continuum does this as it covers a range of leader behaviors that the leader may choose to adopt based on the situation. Fiedler's model is not highly flexible compared to other models of leadership, but this model also specifies that to achieve effectiveness, it is very important to see whether the type of leader is suitable for that type of situation or not.

Contrasts

The biggest difference between the two models can be summed up in the way the models treat leadership behaviors. The Tannenbaum-Schmidt Continuum provides a more complex and fluid spectrum of behaviors, indicating that leaders can shift along the line if necessary. This model relates leadership behavior to the growth stage of the followers and, therefore, is consistent with a contingency leadership model. Meanwhile, Fiedler's Contingency model suggests that the leader possesses a relatively stable profile and that the organizational performance difference is due to the match between the profile and environment (Fiedler, 2015). The contingent theory proposed by Fiedler predicts that leaders are either task-oriented or person-oriented and should seek out environments suitable for the kind of leadership they possess. This model implies that it is more reasonable to attempt to modify the environment to fit the leader than the other way around. Furthermore, the Tannenbaum-Schmidt Continuum concentrates on a leader-subordinate relationship and the amount of power and autonomy the leader delegates to the subordinates. It supports situational leadership theory that allows leaders to vary the degree of control depending on the situation. On the other hand, Fiedler stresses the situation, the leader-member relation, the task and the position power itself, and how this situation moderates the leader's effectiveness.

References

Ayman, R., & Lauritsen, M. (2018). Contingencies, context, situation, and leadership. The nature of leadership, 138-166.

Fiedler, F. R. E. D. (2015). Contingency theory of leadership. In Organizational Behavior 1 (pp. 232-255). Routledge.