Situational Leadership

Essay by ac051University, Bachelor'sA, September 2008

download word file, 9 pages 0.0

Situational Leadership and Applicationsfor Military Leaders in a Field HospitalI. Research TopicThe US military is a professional force of combatants with integral support services and equipment. There is a wide variety of worker skill sets, each with their own military occupation specifications.

I will examine the Hershey and Blanchard Situational Leadership Model and explain how can it be applied to the military and in particular to a Americanmilitary field hospital. I will examine the levels at which Situational Leadership is exercised when a field hospital is deployed and I will analyze peacetime Situational Leadership as compared to wartime operations. Leadership in the field hospital provides an excellent test of the model since the relationships between the degrees of task behavior and relationship behavior change significantly as we progress sequentially from the tactical to operational level and from a peacetime setting to an operation of war.

II. IntroductionLeadership is a subject studied seriously in the military.

Due to the nature of military operations, how we lead in various situations can mean the difference between life and death. The Hersey and Blanchard model serves as an excellent model to teach military leadership and management.

The Hersey and Blanchard model must be translated into a military context due to the uniqueness of military operations. Specifically, the model does a good job of highlighting the appropriate leadership style based on the "maturity" or "development level" of the followers. However, the model must be re-constructed for each level at which leadership is exercised. There are different styles that may be required because of the demands of combat. The Situational Leadership Model can be applied in numerous military applications and as a mid-career officer, I feel that the model is particularly useful as I progress from unit-level leadership positions to more senior leadership positions involving more...