Leadership Happens When You Move: Inclusive Dyadic Relationships

Leadership Happens When You Move: Inclusive Dyadic Relationships

James A. Prokop | 2022

Abstract

This manuscript aims to recognize a common leadership problem identified within the Leader-Member Exchange theory and apply a servant leadership framework to solve it. This work explores leaders’ relationship with followers and the perceptions, behaviors, and group dynamics that create a bias between people and the formation of in and out-groups. This manuscript addressed the impacts of these groups on the parties involved. Furthermore, the manuscript identifies an application of the basic tenets associated with servant leadership to help facilitate an inclusive leadership environment.

Moreover, the identified tenets are derived from the 1977 text by Robert Greenleaf on leadership. His groundbreaking concepts on leadership are the basis for many studies and approaches toward leadership. These tenets positively affect an organization and can solve the leadership problems identified by LMX with “in and out-groups”. These are organized and detailed for this solution and are categorized into the five characteristics of vision, care, learning, communication, and action as an inclusive leadership approach. An inclusive leadership applies leadership practices and characteristics that bring most of an organization into a single in-group, creating a path to solve this common leadership problem. Lastly, this manuscript explores a universal definition of leadership to establish a baseline understanding of leadership to approach the identified problem and solution.

Keywords: Leadership, dyadic relationships, in-groups, out-groups, servant leadership