Situational leadership is the idea that a person changes their leadership style in a given situation. According to Hershey and Blanchard, the type of leadership appropriate for a given situation is driven by the preparation or development of followers. Preparation is based on two factors: ability, meaning the follower has the necessary knowledge, skill, experience and will, or confidence, commitment and motivation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The theoretical model proposed by Hershey and Blanchard matches each follower's level of preparation with an appropriate leadership style. R1 means followers have low ability and low trust. This requires the S1 leadership style, which is comparable to a dictator, and involves the coach providing specific instructions and closely supervising performance. S1 falls on the spectrum that is high in task-related behavior but low in relational behavior. R2 is the next level where followers still have little skill but a lot of will. S2 is the leadership style that goes hand in hand with R2 and is focused on tasks and relationships. The leader, in this case, explains decisions and offers opportunities for clarification. R3 (high ability, low will) corresponds to S3 (low task, high relationship) which is a supportive leadership style. The leader shares ideas and facilitates decision making. The final level is R4 (high ability, high will) and the final leadership style is S4, a kind of laissez-faire coaching style. In S4, the leader delegates responsibility for decisions and implementation. Remember the Titans is a film based on the true story of integration in the 1970s and how it plays out on the high school football field. It is also a good example of situational leadership and follower readiness as the film follows the black head coach, Coach Boone, and the white assistant coach, Coach Yoast, along with their new racially integrated football team. The film begins with the teams from the different schools hanging out together, showing that they are comfortable with members of their race and their roles and positions on their respective teams. However, when the two must blend together, the level of discomfort and discomfort is evident from the first team meeting. This is an example of a team in the forming phase of Bruce Tuckman's team development model. Training is the phase characterized by uncertainty and shyness. The team doesn't know what to expect from each other or their coaches. In this scene from the team's first meeting, Coach Boone addresses the black players and tells them that this is a dictatorship, not a democracy. He clearly states himself and sets the tone for what he expects from his team members (Remember the Titans, 11:15). Coach Yoast then enters with the white athletes and the entire team meets for the first time (Remember the Titans, 1:25 p.m.). While this is technically still forming, there is always an underlying sense of conflict and tension, which is perhaps a result of the community's and nation's general unease about race relations at this time in history. The next scene shows Coach Boone pushing his team into the assault phase as they prepare to leave for preseason training camp. He assigns black and white players to sit together and lets them know they will also sleep together at camp (Remember the Titans, 5 p.m.). This is a great example of a coach consciously pushing his team into conflict so they can overcome assault, norm, and execute. In the training phase, the follower's preparation level is R1. They segregate themselveswhenever possible, showing an unwillingness to come together and play as a team. This is evident in the teams' first meeting and when they board the buses to leave for training camp. Additionally, the newness of the team coupled with racial hostility in the community at large means they are unable to come together. Coach Boone's leadership style is S1 at this point. He explicitly states that it is a dictatorship, not a democracy, and his authority is further strengthened when he is approached by two white players, Gary and Ray, who try to tell him how to run the team (Remember the Titans, 3:30 p.m.) . He publicly declares that he is in charge and clearly puts them in their place in front of the team, the coaching staff and all of their families. On the other hand, Coach Yoast seems to be in S2 leadership style. His approach is based on the relationships he has with his players and the community and tries to explain what's going on without being completely authoritarian. I think the difference in their coaching styles at this point in the team's development comes from Yoast having a relationship with a lot of kids and their families while Boone is trying to come in and prove himself in an openly hostile environment. If Boone wasn't as tough as he is, it would be difficult for him to earn the respect he needs to lead the team. As the team leaves for training camp, it's clear they're under attack. There are multiple cases of hostility and tension between the Juventus players. Arguments over who gets which bed and which posters to hang on the walls eventually give way to a fistfight between Gary (the white captain) and Julius (the black squad leader) who have been assigned a room together (Remember the Titans, 19: 10).As practice begins, there is constant conflict between teammates and coaches. Yoast makes it clear that he doesn't always agree with what Boone does by his facial expressions and tone of voice. At one point, Yoast talks to Boone about introducing new plays and letting the kids have some fun, but Boone isn't open to it. or willing to listen to any new ideas (Remember the Titans, 23:20). Boone is pushing his players to the brink, yelling in their faces and punishing them if they miss a tackle or miss a ball (Remember the Titans, 8:45-10:00 p.m.). During this intense assault phase, the team begins to enter R2 of follower availability. They are not yet able to work together and play at the highest level, but they are starting to feel more confident in their roles on the team and show a level of willingness to get to know their teammates, black and white. Boone tells everyone they need to get to know all their teammates and report back to him what they're learning (Remember the Titans, 10 p.m.). Some players begin to bond and form new relationships, which sets the stage for the team to progress towards the normalization phase. At this point, Coach Boone is still in S1 leadership style. He tells his players and coaches what to do with no room for suggestions or input. He makes sure it is clear that he is the final authority on and off the field. Coach Yoast is somewhere between S2 and S3. His concern for relationships with his players is evident when he questions Boone for overdoing them (Remember the Titans, 27:50) or when he wants to introduce some new plays to keep the kids entertained. He supports and encourages his players during training and motivates them without being too harsh. I think this difference in coaching is positive as it provides a good balance between two extremes. However, it is detrimental to the team as the coaches are clearly not on the same page, making it difficult for the players to work together when it is obvious thatthe coaching staff struggles to work together. The team slowly creeps into the normalization phase and is evident during the Gettysburg race scene (Remember the Titans, 31:00). Boone wakes them at 3:00 a.m. and takes them on a grueling run across the Gettysburg battlefield. During the run you see your teammates supporting each other and pushing each other to keep moving, and by the time they finish the run, they are too exhausted to hate each other or argue. Further evidence of normalization is clear when Gary calls out a white teammate for not blocking for a black quarterback (Remember the Titans, 34:45). Julius and Gary, the two leaders constantly at odds with each other, reunite at the end of a grueling workout to show team spirit and camaraderie. At this point the roles are clear and the team is defining what it represents. The players start to get closer and there is a level of comfort that has never existed. The team is seen cheering, cheering and pumping each other up (Remember the Titans, 36:00), joking and singing with each other in the locker room (Remember the Titans, 38:05), and they sit in a mixed game. tables in the dining room. When they leave camp after two weeks, they feel good and have clearly come a long way since they left. Once they return to school, there is obvious tension within the community, but the team fights to stay together and play together. Julius and Gary work together to break up fights at school and the team goes out to celebrate after winning together. But racial discomfort is always at hand when team members are kicked out of a restaurant because some of them are black. They win their first two games, but Boone points out that they aren't playing with heart. The turning point in the exhibition phase is when the team calls a meeting without the coaches and comes up with their own warm-up routine to stand out from everyone else and to make sure they play with their heart and soul (Remember the Titans, 1: 04:00).During the normalization phase, the team advances to R3. They are certainly able to get along and play together, but once they leave the field their confidence is shaken by the racial tension they encounter. Coach Boone also progresses in his leadership style at S2. Relationships with his players and coaches begin to develop (Remember the Titans, 58:30) and he becomes more of a coach than a dictator. Coach Yoast is at S3 at this point. His relationship behavior is elevated, as evidenced when he convinces Petey to stand up for him after Boone tears him apart (Remember the Titans, 51:00). Coach Boone and Yoast seem to be more on the same page at this point in the film and this is reflected in their team. The team is in the exhibition phase as they continue to win games and eventually go 13-0 to win the state championship. Their unique warm-up style gives the team an identity and sets them apart from the competition (Remember the Titans, 1:07:05). Players step up and get the job done when called upon (Remember the Titans, 1:09:30), and bad seeds are eliminated from the players, as when Gary decides he needs to kick Ray off the team for not doing so. doing his work (Remember the Titans, 1:12:25). During this execution phase, the team is definitely at R4. They have the ability and confidence to win football games and play as a team. They are involved in the coaching staff and with each other and this shows on the pitch. In terms of leadership style, Coach Boone remains mostly in S2, but also shows glimpses of S3 and S4. Shows great concern for a player when he hugs him after hearing about his college eligibility and lets Gary make the decision to kick Ray out of.