Leader-Member Exchange is leadership model gaining steam in the world due to the rise of social networks. It is a leadership model based on relationships. Unlike other leadership models that are based on the personal characteristics of effective leaders, leader-member exchange examines the effectiveness of the relationship a leader has with his or her subordinate. In other words, effective work relationships have a high quality leader-member exchange.
Many leadership models (ex. transformational leadership) apply a characteristics-based model in that they describe the personal characteristics of an effective leader. Leader-Member Exchange is different from the personal characteristics of a leader and looks at the quality of relationship with each subordinate.
Taken from social exchange theory, a leader and subordinate builds the relationship with each interaction. Each interaction offers both the leader and the subordinate to reciprocate. Read More
Steven Covey is most widely known for his book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. However, he has also written about trust in his book “The Speed of Trust”.
While we can ‘get’ the idea and concept of trust, Steven does a great job articulating the finer points and digging deeper into what trust means. A clear and easy way to think about trust is that it is confidence while distrust is suspicion.
Smart trust is the kind of trust you want in your workplace. It is not blind trust; it is considered trust. It acknowledges the risk involved and the possibilities as well. For example, Google has famously implemented “20% time”, which gives engineers the freedom to use 20% of their time on whatever they want (with some boundaries, of course).
In order to achieve smart trust, we must look at two concepts.
- The propensity to trust is the willingness or tendency to trust others. This is primarily a matter of the heart.
- The second is called analysis. Analysis consists of assessing the situation, the risk involved, the credibility of the person. This is primarily a matter of the head.
Together the head and the heart determine whether trust exists and what kind of trust is present.
Steven Covey has research numerous organizations and found that distrust is rampant. When distrust permeates an organization, or team, people find all the reasons not to trust and therefore act accordingly. When this happens, we close ourselves off from opportunities and possibilities.
What is most interesting is that Covey strongly states that not trusting another is a greater risk than trusting another and being let down. Just as trust is reciprocal, distrust is also reciprocal. Too often leaders operate with suspicion.
Start with trust, lead with it. Follow up with analysis. Lead with the heart and follow with the head. Sound relationship advice!
The relationship between a manager and an employee is pretty important. To say the least. It is this relationship between managers and subordinates that transforms the organizational vision and strategy into tactical action. This relationship turns ideas and visions into real world application.
Many studies point to the relationship with the immediate manager as a big source of turnover. Herzberg’s model of motivation places the relationship with immediate supervisor in the “Hygiene” category, which means that while a great relationship may not lead to job satisfaction per se, a poor relationship leads to dissatisfaction.
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