Discuss the contribution made to leadership theory by Hersey and Blanchard (1988)

What will be an ideal response?

Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard (1988) extended the situational leadership
model and identified various characteristics of the followers as being relevant to
successful leadership. The follower characteristic they choose to focus on was called
follower maturity. They identified the maturity level of the followers as their ability and
willingness to do a job. If their maturity level was low then the leader needed to be more
directive. If their maturity level was high then the leader could be more laissez-faire.
Team members can have different levels of ability and willingness. They might be quite
able to do the job but not willing or interested in it, or they might be very eager to
perform well but not have the skills or experience to carry it off. Hersey and Blanchard
suggested that leaders should adapt their style to their various conditions.
In this model when the followers are immature (neither able to complete the task because
of a lack of experience with it, nor willing or interested in completing it) the leader must
be more directive and give specific advice about how to get the job done. This is not the
time to focus on interpersonal relationship building since the need is to understand first
how to get the task done. Hersey and Blanchard describe this style as telling. The leader
must tell the group exactly how the job is to be done. Directions and instructions are the
most critical leadership behaviors needed.
On the other hand, when the followers have a high maturity level (both willing to
complete the task and also having the ability to complete it) the leader should use the
delegating style. Here the followers know how to complete the task and are committed to
doing it. The leader needs to give them authority to carry out the task, and allow them to
self-direct their process.
The two styles in the middle occur when either the followers have the ability but are
unwilling to do the job, or they know how to do the job but are not committed to it. In the
first case, when followers are able but unwilling, Hersey and Blanchard would
recommend that the leader focus on selling. The leader must sell them on the idea that
they can learn to do the task and that they can acquire the skills necessary to complete it.
They must place emphasis on both relationships and task. Finally, a leadership style of participating is used when followers have the ability but are unwilling or disinterested in
the task at hand. A high focus on relationship building is needed here as the leader
encourages shared decision making.
The most important contribution made by Hersey and Blanchard was the notion that
leaders can change their style of interacting with followers depending on the followers'
ability and involvement in the task. The leader can't treat all individuals as if they are
driven by the same motivation or have the same level of skill or interest. The best leaders
adapt to the traits of the group members and the particular situation.