Contingency Theory

What Is The Contingency Theory of Leadership?

Maybe leadership isn’t about who you are, what skills you have, or how you act. Maybe what defines effective leadership is about more than just you. This inquisitive contemplation brought forth the idea of Contingency theory, and moved the field of leadership theory forward by another drastic step.

Developed by Fielder, Contingency theory examines the leader in conjunction with the situation the leader is in. In essence, it argues that effective leadership is contingent upon a match between the leader’s style and the work situation. Leadership style is assessed using a measure called the Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) scale. This scale divides leaders into task motivated (low LPC), socio-independent (middle LPC), and relationship motivated.

Three different variables provide a means for situational measurement: leader-member relations, task structure (defined or undefined tasks), and position power (how much power does the leader have). When considered together, these variables suggest a style of leadership that has the best chance of success. Generally, low LPCs are found effective in extreme combinations with high LPCs effective in moderate situations.

Contingency theory is easily measurable, and as a result has a considerable amount of research supporting it. As mentioned, it represents the first theory to consider more than just the attributes of leaders but also the situation leaders can find themselves in. While it is supported by substantial research, an adequate explanation of why it works has yet to be discovered. Contingency theory is merely predictive. It can predict which leaders will be effective in what situations but cannot be used to make leaders in unfavorable situations more effective.


More Articles in This Series:

HOME_AboutDavidBurkus

About the author

David Burkus is an organizational psychologist, keynote speaker, and bestselling author of five books on leadership and teamwork.

Recommended Reading

How To Earn Respect As A Leader [5 Strategies]

Margaret Thatcher once famously quipped that “Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.” As a leader, the same could be said about respect. If you wonder if you’re team respects you, they probably don’t. Being a leader is not just about having authority and power; […]

Motivating Your Team Doesn’t Have To Be Hard

How do you make your team care about the work they are doing? If you’re a manager, you’ve probably asked that question a few times in your career. You’ve probably made some attempts at motivating your team already. Did you whip out the company mission statement? How did that go over? Even if you think […]

Why Underdogs Win (More Often Than They Should)

I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the city known throughout the world for two things: Throwing snowballs at Santa Claus, and Its embrace of underdogs. The Ultimate Underdog Story When you think about Philadelphians, you should start with this simple fact: our most celebrated sports hero is a fictional character who loses a boxing match […]

Scroll to Top