Chapter 7: Using LMX-Alliance to Enhance Follower and Team Performance

Leader-member exchange (LMX) theory is a well-established lens through which to understand the relation between leaders and followers in organizations. For decades, research has shown LMX to be consistently related with important job-related outcomes. While remaining true to the dyadic relationship underpinning LMX, this chapter extends the theory to consider multiple levels of analysis. Using the LMX framework, we identify two types of leader-follower relationships at different organizational levels and consider alliances and relations in each of them. Further, we introduce and develop the concept of LMX-alliance (LMX-A) and provide a process to use it to improve the relationship between leader and follower and enhance follower and team performance. The chapter concludes with implications for theory, research, and practice.