Mr. Brown was promoted to be a general manager of a particular call center in South Florida. Mr. Brown was coming off a great historical success story from taking over a call center in Boston whose previous leader (Mr. Jackson) preferred to use a democratic leadership style and his democratic style-built flexibility and a sense of responsibility within the group of the employees. Due to the initial success under Mr. Jackson, that call center took on 10 new accounts; And what was once a great attribute in terms of Mr. Jackson’s democratic style of getting each person’s input prior to making decisions turned into a liability when the groups work-load more than tripled.
Due to all the new clients the team was responsible for servicing in addition to the new team members that needed to be trained, Mr. Jackson’s democratic leadership style created too many inefficiencies that aggravated the stress on the team. The account holders began to have greater dissatisfaction with the level of service, and they were at risk of losing not only the additional accounts they have added but the accounts that existed prior to the additions. Mr. Brown was hired in part to stop the bleeding. Mr. Brown’s leadership style was less democratic and told the subordinates what needed to be done to solve the problems. His success of helping the team meet the deadlines that the clients needed, help save the call center from losing those accounts.
However, when Mr. Brown reached his new location, he noticed that his leadership style that he attributed to his previous success in helping the team in Boston was not impacting the bottom line, nor the morale of his new team. His new team was exceptionally talented and did not need training. They knew how to perform the task at hand, but the morale was negatively impacted due to some layoffs and other issues prior to Mr. Brown’s arrival. His leadership style only intensified the problem when he was not cognizant of the morale problem of his team. Mr. Brown called on a mentor that was named Mrs. Pierre.
Mr. Brown was apprehensive of adapting a democratic leadership style due to the heavy deadlines that still was needed to be hit, as well as his memory of how poorly that turned out for Mr. Jackson. Mr. Brown subsequently conveyed his frustration of not understanding what steps to take with his mentor. Mrs. Pierre informed Mr. Brown, that although she did not believe a democratic leadership style was needed for this team, she also highlighted that there wasn’t a style that can fit every situation, and that great leaders adapt their styles to the situation. She informed him that they are situations where the Democratic leadership style will be needed, and great leaders consider the pros and cons of each style to the situation prior to choosing one. She suggested he consider an Affiliative leadership style in which more praise is given to the team members for what they are doing right to help boost the morale so that the team will know that their mastery and dedication is recognized and appreciated.
Discussion Questions:
Is there a leadership style that could be used in most situation to bring optimum results? IF so what is the leadership style? If not, why?
What two elements must one try to assess from those he intends to lead to determine which style is most effective?
What two individuals help coined the term Situational Leadership?
Situational Leadership encourages the leader to evaluate what of the follower?
(From Case study) What conclusions did Mr. Brown come to when attempting to implement what worked in the last team with his new team?
(From Case study) Was Mr. Jackson's leadership style one that was overall bad in every situation? Please explain
(From Case study) What adjustments should Mr. Jackson made after the success of the first leadership style he implemented?
(From Case study) What was Mr.Brown’s mentor Mrs. Pierre advise? And did he eventually get it?
Full Answer Section
Another leadership style that is likely to be effective in most situations is a situational leadership style. Situational leadership is a model of leadership that suggests that the most effective leaders are those who can adapt their leadership style to the needs of the situation.
What two elements must one try to assess from those he intends to lead to determine which style is most effective?
The two elements that a leader should try to assess from those he intends to lead to determine which leadership style is most effective are:
- The followers' needs: What are the followers' skills, experience, and motivation levels? What are their goals and aspirations?
- The task at hand: What is the complexity of the task? How much time is available to complete the task? What resources are available?
Once the leader has assessed these two elements, they can choose the leadership style that is most likely to be effective in the given situation.
What two individuals help coined the term Situational Leadership?
The term "situational leadership" was coined by Ken Blanchard and Paul Hersey in the late 1960s. They developed the Situational Leadership Model, which is a framework that helps leaders to assess the needs of the situation and choose the most appropriate leadership style.
Situational Leadership encourages the leader to evaluate what of the follower?
Situational Leadership encourages the leader to evaluate the follower's competence and commitment.
- Competence: The follower's skills, knowledge, and experience related to the task at hand.
- Commitment: The follower's motivation, willingness, and confidence to perform the task.
Once the leader has assessed the follower's competence and commitment, they can choose the leadership style that is most likely to be effective in helping the follower to successfully complete the task.
What conclusions did Mr. Brown come to when attempting to implement what worked in the last team with his new team?
Mr. Brown came to the conclusion that his previous leadership style, which was more authoritarian, was not effective in his new situation. He realized that his new team was more experienced and talented than his previous team, and that they needed more autonomy and flexibility.
Mr. Brown also realized that the morale of his new team was low, and that he needed to focus on building trust and rapport with his team members. He decided to adopt a more affiliative leadership style, which is characterized by praise, support, and encouragement.
Discussion
The case study of Mr. Brown illustrates the importance of situational leadership. Mr. Brown was successful in his previous role by using a more authoritarian leadership style. However, this style was not effective in his new role because his new team was more experienced and talented, and the morale of the team was low.
Mr. Brown was wise to seek advice from his mentor, Mrs. Pierre. She helped him to understand that there is no single leadership style that is best for all situations, and that the most effective leaders are those who can adapt their leadership style to the needs of the situation.
Mr. Brown decided to adopt a more affiliative leadership style in his new role. This was a wise decision, as an affiliative leadership style can be effective in building trust and rapport with team members, and in boosting morale.
It is important to note that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to leadership. The best leadership style will vary depending on the specific situation. However, by understanding the different leadership styles and how to adapt them to different situations, leaders can be more effective in achieving their goals.
Here are some additional thoughts on situational leadership:
- Situational leadership is not about being manipulative or dishonest. It is about being genuine and flexible in your approach to leadership.
- Situational leadership is not about abdicating your responsibility as a leader. It is about empowering your team members and giving them the autonomy they need to succeed.
- Situational leadership is not about being a pushover. It is about being fair and consistent, and about holding your team members accountable.
Effective leaders are able to assess the needs of the situation and choose the leadership style that is most likely to be effective. They are also able to adapt
Sample Answer
There is no single leadership style that is best for all situations. The most effective leadership style will vary depending on the specific situation, including the followers' needs, the task at hand, and the organizational culture.
However, there are some leadership styles that are more likely to be effective in a wider range of situations. For example, a transformational leadership style, which is characterized by charisma, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration, has been shown to be effective in a variety of contexts.