Final answer:
Fiedler's contingency model suggests that a leader's effectiveness is contingent on their leadership style aligning with the situation, rather than the leader adapting their style to different situations. The leader-follower relationship is critical, and factors such as follower autonomy and leadership needs must be considered to ensure effective leadership and team functioning.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Fiedler's contingency model, the effectiveness of a leader is not only based on their leadership style but also on the situational context. Fiedler believes that a leader's behavior often is not flexible and that the leadership style is fixed. To attain effectiveness, a leader must be placed in a situation that is favorable for their style or the situation must be modified to suit the leader. This highlights the importance of understanding the leader-follower relationship and the dynamics involving the followers' needs and personalities. In order for a leadership style to be effective, it should align well with the followers' characteristics, such as their need for autonomy or structure, extroversion, and desire for growth.
For example, a leader with a highly structured style may not be compatible with followers who are autonomous and prefer a degree of flexibility. This mismatch can lead to a poor leader-follower relationship, reducing overall team effectiveness. Therefore, rather than changing the leader's inherent style, it is often the situation or placement of the leader that needs alteration to achieve the desired results in team functioning and follower satisfaction. Understanding and applying these principles can enhance teamwork and the overreaching goals within work teams.