17

Success Approach
Description
The Success Approach to leadership is based on the success model developed by Floyd and Jacqueline
Dickens. The Dickens model discusses the different stages an individual will reach before becoming
successful in a group or organization. The success approach to leadership prescribes behaviors for a
leader to follow depending on what stage their constituent is in the success model.
The success approach to leadership is similar to the situational approach in that it prescribes
leader behavior based on the followers development level. It is different from the situational approach
because it focuses more on why the follower is where theyre at and focuses on actions and behaviors
the leader can take to help them be successful.

FIGURE 17.1 DICKENS AND DICKENS SUCCESS MODEL
Stages of the Success Model
The success model was created by Floyd Dickens, Jr. and his wife Jacqueline while he was a
Director at Proctor & Gamble. The model is based on the path to success that the Dickens experienced
their selves and recognized in his followers. The beauty of the Dickens success model is that it puts a
name on phases that everyone has experienced at one time or another.
As stated above, the Success Approach is similar to the Situational Approach in that it prescribes
leadership action based on follower development. A gap in the Situational Approach is how
commitment and competence combine together to determine where the follower is on the
development level continuum. The stages of success listed below help to determine how these two
factors add up to the individuals development level.
The first stage of success is the introductory stage. The introductory stage is the honeymoon; a
person in this stage is new to the job, organization, or team and is very enthusiastic about being there.
Introductory
Stage
Adjustment
Stage
Crossroads
Constant
Growth
Success
Exit the
organization
Stay, withdraw
Go
for it
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This person is not yet competent in the role, but has a lot of commitment for the role. An individual in
this stage will not yet experience any road blocks or problems on the way to success and likely lacks a
clear vision for the future in the role. A person in the introductory stage is likely to feel over-directed or
under-directed by their leader.
The second stage of success is the adjustment stage. During this stage, an individual will become
frustrated with and confused about his or her job or place in the organization and will be under distress.
The individual may lose their sense of purpose within the team and can become grumpy, unenthusiastic,
or even depressed. The adjustment phase can manifest itself physically through illness, weight loss or
weight gain, and more. A person in the adjustment phase has grown in competency from the
introductory phase and is therefore expected to handle more projects on his or her own but may not
feel capable of handling the increased problems and road blocks that come with the increased
responsibility. As a result, in the adjustment phase, commitment of the follower begins to waver.
The third stage of success is the constant growth stage. During this stage, the individual regains
a sense of enthusiasm and commitment to their position. They are even more competent in their
position and feel more equipped to handle the problems and road blocks that come their way.
Individuals in the constant growth stage are under significantly less distress than individuals in the
adjustment phase.
The final stage is success itself. When an individual is in this phase, he or she is fully competent
and committed to getting the job done.
This model is designed so that individuals can move back and forth on the success spectrum
within their careers and within various projects. This means that both leaders and followers will
constantly be going through changes in where they are on the spectrum.
The Crossroads
The crossroads is the barrier between the adjustment stage and the constant growth stage. The
crossroads is a very important boundary to overcome in order to achieve success. Often, when an
individual reaches their crossroads, they have the thought I cant keep going like this and they re-
evaluate whether or not to stay committed to the organization. When an individual reaches their
crossroads, they have three options; to exit the organization, to stay in the organization and withdraw,
or to stay in the organization and go for it. When an individual exits, they leave the organization
entirely to pursue their passions and interests elsewhere. When the individual stays but withdraws, they
are choosing to put their commitment and passion into another facet of their life and revert back to the
adjustment phase. A withdrawn individual is unlikely to achieve success until they reach a new
crossroads and go for it. When the individual stays and goes for it, they decide to pour their
commitment and passion into the organization or project. Going for it is when a follower will truly
achieve success in the organization or project.
Leadership Behaviors for Each Stage of Success
Based on their commitment and competency, individuals at each level of the success spectrum
require different leader behaviors to help them advance towards success. These behaviors are similar to
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the supportive and directive behaviors outlined in Chapter 5, but are more specifically geared to helping
followers achieve success. From page 101 of the text, supportive behaviors help group members feel
comfortable about themselves, their coworkers, and the situation. Directive behaviors clarify what is
to be done, how it is to be done, and who is responsible for doing it.
An individual in the introductory stage requires low supportive and high directive behaviors
from the leader, just like a D1 individual in the Situational Approach would require. An introductory
stage follower is committed to their job, but is not competent yet. The follower has not yet met any
major problems and has plenty of commitment to the task, so he or she does not need to be
emotionally supported. The follower is likely new to the organization or group and will need direction
from the leader just to become competent at performing their day to day job. During the introduction
stage, the leader should share their vision for the future with the follower and help clarify the followers
goals for the company. During the introductory stage is when followers reported feeling either under or
over-directed. The leader should pay attention to the follower to try to give them enough direction and
guidance without overdoing it.
An individual in the adjustment phase requires high supportive and high directive behaviors;
similar to a D2 in the Situational Approach. A follower in the adjustment phase is becoming frustrated
with their job and the problems they are encountering and is now wavering in commitment. In this
situation, the leader should emotionally support (and build commitment in) the follower by openly
recognizing their contributions to a project and strengthen the follower by offering visible support to
them. The leader should also begin to give the follower critical projects to help boost the followers self-
esteem and feeling or worth. A follower in the adjustment phase has gained some competence, but still
needs the direction of the leader to guide them down the right path.
The behavior that a leader uses when their follower is at a crossroads can significantly impact
which path the follower chooses to take. When a follower is at a crossroads, they need to re-commit to
their job or project. In guiding a follower through the crossroads, the leader should use supportive
behaviors to boost the followers self-esteem and show support of their decisions. When the follower is
at a crossroads, the leader should take care not to push the follower too hard; this could end up driving
the follower away from the organization all together.
A follower in the continuous growth phase needs high supportive and low directive behaviors
from their leader. A follower in the continuous growth phase is, for the most part, competent enough to
handle problems on their own. The leader must mainly emotionally support this follower to ensure that
the follower remains committed to the organization or project and does not regress back into the
adjustment phase. In this stage, the leader should strengthen the follower by giving them more power,
providing choice, and assigning critical tasks.
A follower in the success phase needs low supportive and low directive behaviors from the
leader. Although the leader does not have to be as involved with this follower, the leader should be sure
to maintain the followers level of commitment to the organization or project.
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As a whole, a leader should always make a point to recognize the achievements of his or her
followers. Creating a positive work environment where everyone is recognized and heard may help
keep followers from exiting or withdrawing when they reach their crossroads.
How Does the Success Approach Work?
The success approach of leadership revolves around the leader being able to read their followers well.
This means a leader must know their followers on both a professional and personal level. If the leader
cannot determine what stage the follower is at, they will not be able to provide the environment that
will allow the follower to move towards success.
The success approach acknowledges that the introduction, adjustment, growth, and success
phases are a natural part of being part of an organization or group. In particular, many people seem to
think that the adjustment stage is unnatural and that the feelings of discouragement and wavering
commitment mean that they should leave a group or organization. A leader who is aware of these
stages can help their followers become aware of the phases, which can lead more people to go for it
instead of quitting an organization or withdrawing from it. This can reduce career stagnation in a
corporate setting and increase involvement in other settings.
Further, a leader should never give up on a follower that has withdrawn but not left the
organization. When a person withdraws, they are taking their commitment and passion elsewhere and
reverting back to the adjustment phase. Being in the adjustment phase for an extended period of time is
unhealthy for a person because of all of the distress and unhappiness. Being in the adjustment phase
also means career stagnation and never becoming a very productive worker. The leader should work to
get the follower out of this phase for health reasons and to benefit the organization. When trying to
help a withdrawn follower, the leader should use the behaviors they would use if they were leading a
person in the adjustment phase for the first time.
Strengths
Like the situational approach, one of the greatest strengths of the success approach is that nearly
everyone can relate to it. It is easy to understand and apply because everyone has experienced the
stages of the success model at one time or another. It is quite easy to assess oneself and ones followers
and determine the appropriate action to take.
Unlike the situational approach, the success approach makes clear how commitment is
combined with competence to make the different stages of success. It therefore provides a very
prescriptive approach to leadership behavior and gives clear examples of what to do based on
experience by the author of this book and the originator of the stages of success.
An additional strength of the success approach is that it can be applied to a followers journey
through their career or through an individual project. This will help the leader help the follower to move
to success in all aspects of his or her career.
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Criticisms
The major criticism to the success approach is that it has not been researched. The success approach
came about from the Dickens & Dickens success model. Both the approach and model are based entirely
on observations from their originators (the author and Dickens & Dickens, respectively). We cannot be
certain that it is a valid approach until it is corroborated with research.
An additional criticism of the success approach is that the prescriptive nature of the approach
isnt always applicable to more highly developed followers. Vecchio (1987) conducted a study of high
school teachers and their principles. He found that newly hired teachers performed better under
principles that have highly structured leadership styles. The performance of experienced teachers did
not depend on the leadership style of the principal.
Application
The success approach to leadership can be used by many different types of leaders and organizations.
When the leader recognizes the stage that their followers are in, they can more effectively lead the
follower (and therefore the organization) to success.
It is important for a leader to teach the follower about the stages in the success model. When
followers realize that what theyre going through is natural, they will be less likely to withdraw from the
organization. Also, helping the follower understand the stages of success may help them progress
through the stages more quickly.
Finally, when leaders can recognize the stages of the success approach in themselves, they can
move through the different stages much more efficiently and then focus on helping their followers
through the approach.
Case Study
To see how the success approach can be applied in a non-corporate organization, you may want to
assess Case 17.1. At the end of the case, there are questions that will help you analyze the context from
the perspective of the success approach to leadership.
Case 17.1
What Behaviors Do I Take?

Anne is the president and a founding member of a social sorority for women in engineering that has
about 40 members. The sorority values high standards of personal integrity, respect, and character,
lifelong bonds of sisterhood, and academic and professional excellence with a social balance.

There are 5 executive board members that report to the president. Each executive board member has a
committee of their own and directors that report to them.

Claire has been in the sorority since it was founded. She has held positions within the sorority in the
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past, including an executive board position. In a previous position, Claire got burned out and withdrew
from the sorority for a period of time. She decided to become more involved again and was elected to a
small director position. Even though she took on another leadership role, Claire is a little worried that
she will not be able to handle the position.

Leah is brand new to the sorority. She is very enthusiastic about getting involved but she doesnt have a
lot of knowledge about the sorority or leadership experience. Other members are concerned that she
doesnt have the experience necessary to take on a director position.

Tessa has been in the sorority for about a year, but has never been very involved. She commutes to
school every day, and therefore has found it difficult to make friends. When she first joined, she seemed
very excited at the prospect of having such a large group of women to make friends with. Now, she has
told Anne that she is disappointed that shes only made a handful of friends from the sorority and is
thinking about quitting.

Anne believes that the sorority is one of the most beneficial groups you can be a part of on campus and
she wants these women to remain in the sorority and dedicated to it. Anne is wondering how she should
approach each woman.

Questions

1. According to the success model of leadership described in this chapter, at what stage would you
place Claire, Leah, and Tessa?
2. If you were Anne, how would you act towards each woman?