Chapter 12: Relational Leadership: Creating Effective Leadership with Diverse Staff¹

As our world becomes increasingly interconnected, and as workers from a wide variety of races, ethnicities, genders, and nationalities take their place in the U.S. workforce, relationships between and among leaders and followers of differing demographic backgrounds have become increasingly common. Yet, many of those in positions of leadership are underprepared to face the challenges of working with diverse followers, and all of us, leader or follower, may need to overcome the tendency to gravitate towards those more similar to ourselves. The program of research described in this chapter builds on previous work by extending the examination of leadership relationships into the domain of diversity research. In particular, the studies that follow examine the distinctive challenges and limitations of cross-demographic relationships that occur as the leadership process unfolds in contexts where those engaged in leadership and followership are demographically different from each other. The chapter outlines our research on developing more inclusive leadership relationships and, within organizational systems built on numerous such relationships, more inclusive organizational climates that allow individuals from a broad spectrum of society to achieve their full potential in their workplaces to the benefit of their organizations as well.