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Leader-Member Exchange

Leader-Member Exchange Theory resonates with me as the most holistic and realistic theory of leadership that I have studied thus far. This theory views leadership not as something that a leader does to their followers, but instead as something that exists between the leader and their followers. Leadership exists in the space between the leader and follower and in the relationships that form between the two (Northouse, 2016). The most effective leaders that I’ve had the honor of serving under have valued relationships above all else, using leader-member exchange as a cornerstone of their leadership philosophy. When I have a high quality relationship with my leader, I feel valued and am more likely to dedicate myself to the organization. Relationships matter greatly to me. Despite this, LMX is not without its flaws. When the focus on leadership is on relationships nepotism and implicit biases come into play and can cause great discord in organizations. Studies have shown that members who have a low quality leader-member exchange receive an unfair and severe disadvantage in their performance evaluations which can cause attrition and job dissatisfaction (Campbell & Swift, 2006). When LMX Theory is applied with the intention that all members participate in a high quality exchange with the leader many of these potential drawbacks can be addressed (Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1991).  

Itay Talgam (2009), in a TEDTalk discussed how great conductors lead their orchestra. Listening to Talgam describe how exactly each conductor communicated and provided direction to their orchestra reminded me about the relationship centered LMX Theory (Northouse, 2016). According to Talgam, the conductor brings out beautiful music from the chaos of noise in the orchestra. The conductor is responsible for creating an environment and process that makes it clear what the orchestra is to do. Of course each individual member has their own sheet music, but the conductor Conductors can be commanding, or they can leave members of the orchestra to their own devices. Most of all, the orchestra members are to be responsive to the conductor's communication. The communication between the leader and the members goes two ways. When a strong conductor makes an intentional effort to create a strong relationship and maintain excellent communication with their members, the result is beautiful music. When a leader makes this same intentional effort the results are a tight knit team, and positive results. 

https://www.bates-communications.com/bates-blog/overcoming-in-and-out-groups-in-teams


References

Campbell, C. R. & Swift, C.O. (2006). Attributional comparisons across biases and leader-member exchange status. Journal of Managerial Issues, (18)3, 393-408.

Graen, G. B. & Uhl-Bien, M. (1995). Relationship-based approach to leadership: Development of leader-member exchange (LMX) theory of leadership over 25 years: Applying a multi-level multi-domain perspective. Leadership Quarterly, (6)2, 217-247.  

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Sage Publishing.

Talgam, I. (2009). Lead like the great conductors. [Video]. Retrieved from: https://www.ted.com/talks/itay_talgam_lead_like_the_great_conductors


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