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Leadership lives in dyadic relationships — in-groups and out-groups.
George Graen and colleagues (Fred Dansereau, William Haga) developed vertical dyad linkage theory at the University of Illinois in the mid-1970s, later reframed as leader-member exchange. LMX shifted analysis from the leader's average style to the quality of each leader-follower relationship — and showed how differentiated those relationships really are.
LMX shifted the lens to the quality of each leader–follower relationship. Leaders develop differentiated exchanges — trusted in-groups and transactional out-groups — with measurable consequences for both.
The era: Situation & Contingency — Situational variables are considered; behavior is moderated by obstacles along the path between subordinates and goals.
Leadership lives in dyadic relationships — in-groups and out-groups.
This theory sits in the Situation & Contingency era of the map: Situational variables are considered; behavior is moderated by obstacles along the path between subordinates and goals.
Audit your in-group and out-group — you have both, whether you admit it or not.
Build high-quality exchanges deliberately with those you've left transactional.