The Situational Leadership Model and the Jeanne Simmons Case

The Situational Leadership Model and the Jeanne Simmons Case

Introduction: The Situational Leadership Model

The situational leadership model is based on certain assumptions. One of these assumptions is that there are different levels (or situations) in which a leadership style is played out. In the same way that there are four different levels of readiness on the part of staff or “followers”, there are also four leadership styles. On the whole it is the level that the followers are to be found that is most important element in the equation when a leadership style is seen to be to be the appropriate style and is chosen from among four possible styles. According to this idea leaders can choose to lead in any one of four styles and within that style can operate through directive behavior (strong leadership) or supportive behavior (employee developing leadership). The four levels of “followership” can be listed and annotated as follows:

D1 Low competence / high commitment

D2 Some competence /low commitment

D3 High competence / variable commitment

D4 High competence /high commitment

The essence of the situational leadership idea is that each different “situation” of employee readiness to follow calls for a different type of leadership. For example, if we are talking about a Walmart “associate” training class we might be talking about D1. This would call for a special style of leadership. The combinations are best shown in a graphic that is available online at: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/1650/htmlblanchard.html

The four leadership styles are named in each of four cells of the diagram. This gives us a good preparation to analyze the Jeanne Lewis story.

Jeanne Lewis at Staples

When Lewis came to Staples she diagnosed a leadership problem in Safeway stores. The level of followership readiness in the organization was probably best described as D2. The stores were underperforming but store managers had been in place a long time. Lewis began by chopping out all the old dead wood. This was the low point in supportive. Lewis wouldn’t support managers who were not putting out energy to lead their staffs. At first Lewis’s style was directive, but when some middle management executive staff