Originating from studies into military leadership style, CRT can also be applied to other contexts such as the relationship between stress and ability in sport.
Training should focus on stress management so that a leader's intellect can be most effectively utilised and also to train leaders to take a directive approach when their knowledge will benefit the group but a less directive approach when group member abilities will contribute to performance.
Fiedler then went on to develop the CRT which takes into account the personality of the leader, degree of situational stress and group-leader relations.
Blades undertook studies in army mess halls, investigating the effect of group member and leader intelligence on overall organisational performance.
The contingency model predicts that task-motivated leaders (low LPC score) perform most efficiently in situations of high control whereas relationship orientated leaders (high LPC score) perform best in moderately or low structured tasks.