In this article I’ll review the last two theories on leadership in the ABC of Leadership Theories. 

Leader Member Exchange Theory (LMX)

This theory was first described by Dansereau, Graen, and Haga (1975), with several revisions after that. It’s based on the assumption that a leader has a relationship with all his subordinates, a dyadic (two parts) relationship. This theory states that a person becomes part of an in-group or out-group of subordinates to a leader. What’s the difference? how well the leader works with them.

What’s so important about this theory? Basically that research has found that high-quality leader-member exchanges (relationships) produced greater organizational commitment. The importance of the theory lies on recognizing the existing of the “in” and “out” groups, and how to deal with them.

Transformational Leadership

Although it appeared first mentioned by Downton (1973) it wasn’t until James Burns’ mention in his classic “Leadership” (1978) that transformational leadership became better known. Later on, Bass (1985) expanded the model proposed by Burns. This kind of leadership refers to a process, a process in which the leader and the follower are changed to fulfill their goals. The leader is attentive to the followers needs and is constantly encouraging them to give their best. Individuals who exhibit transformational leadership often have a strong set of internal values and ideals.

Transformational leadership provides a general way of thinking about leadership, emphasizing ideals, inspirations, innovations and individual concerns. A great example of transformational leadership is the way Kouzes & Posner deal with leadership in his book “The Leadership Challenge” (2003).

Summing Up

It’s interesting to note that the different approaches and theories tend to move from the study of the leader to the study of the relationship between the leader and the followers.

Every approach or theory leaves us something to embrace or consider. While studying the subject I became much more aware of my own acts, and of course, of the acts of the “leaders” I deal with. My boss, the boss of my boss, and of course my peers. The Simple Leadership Model I propose is my call to the subject. But now, you’ll learn about the views of scientists and researchers that have dedicated their lives studying Leadership.

I’ve commented on the most notable approaches and theories about leadership that exist today. It became clear that studies evolved from a perspective exclusively focused on the leader to a focus taking into account the followers and the context where the leadership relationship was found. Each one of the approaches to leadership has a proper use, and purpose. It’s up to you, to further investigate each one to use it on your path to be a leader.