The difficulty with style theories, even when they attempt to reflect the multidimensional nature of leadership, is that they ignore the important influence of the context in which the leader is operating. The modern consensus is that there is no one best style of leadership that is equally effective for all circumstances.
One example studied in F1 is Adair’s action-centered leadership approach. He argued that the leader needs to adapt to three competing needs:
-The needs of the group (communication, team building, motivation, discipline)
-The needs of individuals (coaching, counselling, motivating and developing)
-Task needs (setting objectives, planning tasks, allocating responsibilities and performance standards)
Such a balancing act is just as relevant to the CEO in the boardroom as it is to a supervisor on the shop floor.