Path-Goal and Leader-Member Exchange Approaches to Leadership

Path-Goal and Leader-Member Exchange Approaches to Leadership

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Leader-member exchange is a theory of leadership which directs its focus on interactions which take place between a leader and their followers. The theory tends to get rid of the barriers to success which is played by both the followers and their leaders (Maslyn et al 2017). The actions of the leaders and follower play a great role but the status of the group is determined by the work relationship between the leader and the follower. According to Northouse, (2016), the theory classifies groups as either in-group or out-group. The in-group members will be ready to do a lot more for them to expand their assigned roles while the out-group members are unwilling to undertake their duties.

As an employee of the organization, this theory has enabled me to appreciate what I do and to always look forward to attending to my duties. The positivity about my job has improved a great deal and I am able to deliver as per the expectations of my leaders. With this knowledge, I am able to understand that there are two types of leaders or the same leader who can play two parts. The leader(s) can either encourage inclusion or the ones that discourage it. With this knowledge I am as well looking for ways in which I can ensure creation of a good rapport with my employer in order to undertake what is expected of me. I am thinking about ways through which I can avoid being in the outgroup as it brings forth low morale at the workplace.

The implications I have after learning about this theory as a leader is that the way I interact with my employees affects the work situation. I previously had given very little thought about the impact the interactions could have. With this knowledge, I plan to focus a lot more on an approach known as leadership making. This approach helps in maintaining high quality relationships with each employee. This will encourage most employees to look forward to being in-group (Northouse 2016).

Being in-group has several impacts to the employee, first, it increases productivity as the employee maximizes their time and effort on their task (Maslyn et al 2017). This enables the employee to provide better quality of work. In-group as well increases the innovativeness of the employees as when they are engaged, they tend to come up with exciting and new ideas. This improvement on the employee’s side directly impacts the organization as they have high chances of customer retention. When an employee does an impressive work, the client is more likely to remain loyal and even offer referrals. This in turn results to increased revenues due to increase in incoming jobs. When an employee feels incorporated in the organization, they are less likely to leave. For this reason, the company will save a lot as it is costly to hire new employees.

As per the above discussion, it is with no doubt that LMX approach is the best leadership approach to leadership. This is because it ensures the organizational needs are kept on check and most importantly, puts its focus on the needs of their employees. It gives the leaders an insight of the steps they can take in ensuring that they get the best out of their employees by helping them differentiate between the in-group members from the out-group members and how to handle both groups effectively to ensure employee productivity.

References

Northouse, P.G.  (2016). Leadership: theory and practice. Seventh Edition. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Maslyn, J. M., Schyns, B., & Farmer, S. M. (2017). Attachment style and leader-member exchange. Leadership & Organization Development Journal.