Situational Leadership and Follower Readiness Essay Example

but UnwillingFollower is able but is insecure or unwilling to do the task without help or supervision. R4Able and WillingFollower is able, confident, and committed. Situational Leadership styles are also divided into four levels. The levels are categorized by the amount of task behavior (direction) and relationship behavior (communication) a leader provides to followers.

The table below describes each leadership style as characterized by Hersey, Blanchard and Johnson (2008, p. 134). LevelDescription S1: TellingHigh amounts of task behavior and low amounts of relationship behavior. S2: SellingHigh amounts of task and relationship behavior. S3: ParticipatingLow amounts of task behavior and high amounts of relationship behavior. S4: DelegatingLow amounts of task and relationship behavior. An effective leader will match the appropriate leadership style to the level of follower readiness.

When used properly, correctly matching styles ensure the highest probability of success. The leadership styles match up with the follower readiness levels, respectively as follows: •R1, unable-unwillingS1, high task-low relationship •R2, unable-willingS2, high task-high relationship •R3, able-unwillingS3, low task-high relationship •R4, able-willingS4, low task-low relationship Follower readiness determines which leadership level is needed. The leader needs to recognize this, and adapt the leadership style needed to attain the most positive results. As a newcomer to the Staples, Inc. rganization, Jeanne Lewis used a Selling (S2) leadership style with her subordinates. As an “outsider” with new ideas, she realized that she needed to not only give direction, but also use open communication to influence her followers in adopting her ideas. She also wanted to learn and understand her subordinates and their knowledge of the business. For example, she let her staff know that “she would want to ‘ride shotgun’

with them and ask a lot of questions in order to learn as much as she could from their expertise” (Suesse & Hill, 2005, p. 84).

Lewis also learned that a leader’s style sometimes may need to change according to the follower readiness. She began using a Telling (S1) leadership style with her marketing department, but found the group wasn’t as productive as she’d hoped, because she was doing all the talking. By switching to the Selling (S2) style, and opening up more one-on-one communication, she and her followers accomplished more (Suesse & Hill, 2005, p. 86). The marketing department employees were willing, but unable to implement new strategies without joint communications, therefore the change was necessary.

Another example of Lewis’ Selling (S2) style can be seen when she was moved to the merchandising department. Although inexperienced in merchandising, Lewis, along with her team, worked together to develop a strategy in order to turn around the department. One of her followers explained that “at first impression, he worried that Lewis might be a micro-manager, but he soon realized that she liked to inspire dialogue and debate to ensure that they dug deeply into their decision making” (Suesse & Hill, 2005, p. 81).

Her followers were willing, but unable (R2) initially, but through open communication, Lewis was able to give them confidence to take on new tasks and improve the department. Jeanne Lewis applied situational leadership effectively by adapting to her followers’ readiness levels. She learned that in the Staples, Inc. environment, she was dealing with subordinates with a wealth of knowledge about the business. Her team had done things the same way for many years,

and to sale her ideas, Lewis discovered that she would need to apply high task behavior, as well as high relationship behavior.

She shared information, learned the business, and brought her followers together as a team. Lewis’ success is a great example of how the Leadership Model works.