At Leomhann Enterprises, we develop self-motivated people from entry-level to management, in-house. We believe the best coaches are former players. But becoming a great coach takes more than having done the job yourself. It takes tools.
Two of the most important are Situational Leadership and SMART goals. Both are skills our up-and-comers learn through our Management Development Program on the way to leading others. Here’s what each framework is and why it matters so much in a people-first sales environment.
What Is Situational Leadership?
Situational Leadership is the idea that no single way of leading is best. The right approach depends on the person you’re leading and where they are with a specific task. The model traces back to leadership researchers Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard, who introduced it in the late 1960s.
Someone brand new to a skill needs clear direction. Someone who’s getting the hang of it but still building confidence needs coaching and encouragement. Someone who’s capable but hesitant needs support more than instruction. And someone who’s fully capable and confident needs you to step back and trust them.
The model is usually described in four leadership styles:
- Directing: clear, specific instructions and close follow-up.
- Coaching: direction plus explanation, encouragement, and two-way conversation.
- Supporting: less instruction, more listening and confidence-building.
- Delegating: handing over ownership to someone who’s ready.
The skill isn’t memorizing the four styles. It’s reading the situation accurately and adjusting.
Why Situational Leadership Fits Leomhann Enterprises
A growing team always includes people at every stage at once: someone on their first day, someone hitting their first benchmark, and someone getting ready to train others. A leader who manages everyone the same way will over-manage some people and under-support others.
That’s why this framework fits the way we’re built. Every leader here started as an Account Manager and remembers what each stage felt like. Situational Leadership gives them a practical way to turn that memory into better coaching, which is why it’s part of Leomhann Enterprises training for every future leader. It’s also one of the methods behind the leadership development work we do for our business partners, alongside DISC coaching and Crucial Conversations training.
What Are SMART Goals?
SMART is a simple way to turn a vague intention into a goal you can hit, and setting SMART goals comes down to checking a goal against five letters. The acronym is usually credited to a 1981 Management Review article by George T. Doran. The letters have shifted a little since then, but today a SMART goal is:
- Specific: it says exactly what you’re aiming for.
- Measurable: you can tell whether you hit it.
- Achievable: it stretches you without being unrealistic.
- Relevant: it connects to something that matters.
- Time-bound: it has a deadline.
“Get better at sales” isn’t a SMART goal. It isn’t specific, you can’t measure it, and it never ends.
A SMART Goal in Action: Six Customers in Six Days
Our own advancement benchmarks are a good example of SMART thinking. The first developmental benchmark for a new Account Manager is straightforward: six customers in six days. It’s specific, measurable, achievable with training, relevant to the role, and time-bound. There’s no guesswork about what success looks like.
Every stage after that works the same way, with clear benchmarks tied to performance rather than seniority. We broke down each one in How Pay, Commissions, and Advancement Really Work at Leomhann Enterprises.
How the Two Frameworks Work Together
SMART goals tell a team member exactly where they’re headed. Situational Leadership tells their leader how to help them get there. One sets the target, and the other adjusts the coaching to the person chasing it.
Because we only promote from within, the leaders doing that coaching have worked through the same benchmarks themselves. Together, they create an environment where nobody is left guessing about what’s expected or how to improve.
Skills That Last Beyond Any One Job
These frameworks aren’t only useful here. Knowing how to set clear goals and adapt your leadership to different people will help in any career, whether you stay in sales, move into management, or build something of your own.
If you’re looking for career growth in Cleveland and want to learn these skills by doing, not just reading about them, explore careers at Leomhann Enterprises. Every leader here started at the beginning, and so can you.
