As a supervisor in a large manufacturing facility, I have the privilege of leading many different types of people. These employees range from first day on the job to 40 plus years of experience. Getting to know these employees helps me lead them because I can often tell when they are having a good or bad day, or when they need extra attention or motivation. It was not until I discovered the leader-member exchange (LMX) theory, however, that I realized why some of these employees step up and do more, why some sit in the background, and why I give extra attention to some. Throughout the remainder of this writing I hope to give some insight into what I realized about my leadership, and how I will attempt to use LMX to improve the exchanges I have with my team.
Leader-member exchange is a leadership theory that focuses on the interaction that takes place between the leader and the follower (Northouse, 2016). By focusing on the interaction, the theory removes the individual barriers to success that both the leader and the follower play. While both the leaders and the follower’s actions play a critical role in the theory, group status is determined based on how well the leader and the follower work together (Northouse, 2016). Leader-member exchange theory classifies these groups as either the in-group or the out-group. In-group members are willing to do extra to expand their roles, and in turn receive more form the leader (Northouse, 2016). Out-group members, however, are unwilling to do more then what is expected of them, thus the leader will do less for these followers (Northouse, 2016). In-group and out-group memberships are interesting concepts, of which I never considered. I have realized over time, however, that there are certain employees that will go above and beyond their job responsibilities. These are the ones who I find myself relying on, giving the most attention to, and having the greatest influence on. But what about the rest? Is out-group membership a result of something I have done, or are they truly happy with coming to work just to do their job and then going home?
As I read through the chapter on LMX, I found myself thinking of interactions with my employees, and how I could have directly impacted the situation. Not to sound naive, but I had given very little thought into the actual effects of these interactions. What I had failed to realize, is that LMX is related to effectiveness, and that the quality of theses exchanges directly effects outcomes on leaders, followers and the organization (Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1995, as cited in Northouse, 2016). Furthermore, the quality of the leader-member exchange has impacts on turnover, performance, and commitment (Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1995; Liden, Wayne & Stilwell, 1993, as cited in Northouse, 2016). Without realizing it, the quality of the interactions I was having with my employees was playing a direct role in their happiness and willingness to increase their responsibilities. Instead of focusing on my star employees, the in-group, the LMX theory has made me recognize that I should be concerned with how I attend to and treat each member of my team.
To effectively manage this, I plan to begin focusing more on leadership making. Leadership making is an approach that focuses on developing high-quality relationships with every follower (Northouse, 2016). If this can be effectively managed it will promote membership to the in-group, while avoiding the negatives associated with the out-group (Northouse, 2016). Graen and Uhl-Bien (1991, as cited in Northouse, 2016) promote leadership making through the following phases: the stranger phase, the acquaintance phase, and the mature partnership phase. During the stranger phase, interactions between the leader and follower are primarily low-quality and are based on organizational roles (Northouse, 2016). My team and I spent very little time in this phase, because I was promoted form within and we had known each other for quite some time. Of course, there was some uncertainty about how the group would react to me, and how I would react to the group, but the previously built relationships hurried this phase along.
The second phase, the acquaintance phase, is where the team and I have spent most of the past two years. The acquaintance phase is where followers begin to show their interest in doing more, and the leader begins to provide new opportunities for the followers (Northouse, 2016). It is during this time that exchanges between the leader and follower begin to improve, and greater trust and respect is established (Northouse, 2016). As someone who is working through this phase, I would argue that it is the most important of the three because this is where I can attempt to impact group status. Obviously, I cannot force people to be in the in-group, but focusing on my interactions with the staff can result in higher-quality exchanges. I must, however, be cognizant of the amount of time I send with in-group members, because if I give them too much attention, then I can lose others to the out-group. To prevent this, I will try to share my time with each member of my group, paying extra attention to members of the out-group and offering them opportunities.
Mature partnerships, the third phase, is determined by high-quality exchanges where the leader and follower depend on each other (Northouse, 2016). This is a natural progression with in-group members, and I certainly have several members of my team that have entered this phase. Again, I must be mindful of this, because I do not want to focus only on these relationships. Instead of focusing on the members already in this phase, I must focus on getting more members on my team into this phase.
Before learning about LMX, I knew that I had staff members that were willing to do more, and others that came to work to do one job. I now realize that these team members are classified as in and out-group members, and that I can impact group membership. With this knowledge, I plan to continue to reward the in-group members with more opportunity and information, but I also plan to help empower out-group members, hoping that they will shift towards the in-group. This transition will have to take effect slowly and will not happen overnight. For this plan to work I need to be aware of out-group members reactions, because I do not want to push them further away. I must be conscious of the exchanges taking place and must adapt to the actions of the employees. Ultimately, my goal is to form a high functioning, well informed team. Through the use of leader-member exchange, I hope to create high-quality exchanges that will benefit not only the team but the entire organization. If I can successfully manage this, I have the potential to positively effect my employees performance and job satisfaction.
Reference:
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: theory and practice. Seventh Edition. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.