Fiedler’s Contingency Approach to Leadership

Fiedler’s Contingency Approach to Leadership:

The theory holds that people become leaders not only because of the attributes of their personalities but also because of various situational factors and the interactions between leaders and group members.

Critical Dimensions of the Leadership Situation:

Fiedler described three critical dimensions of the leadership situation that help determine what style of leadership will be most effective.

1. Position Power.
2. Task Structure.
3. Leader-Member relations.

Leadership Styles:

Fiedler set forth two major styles of leadership. One of these is primarily task-oriented, that is, the leader gains satisfaction from seeing tasks performed.  The other is oriented primarily toward achieving good interpersonal relations and attaining a position of personal prominance.