The relationship between leaders' behaviors and employees' perceptions of trust, inclusion, and team cohesion has been studied extensively in the organizational psychology literature. Research has shown that effective leadership can promote feelings of trust, inclusiveness, and team cohesion among employees, while ineffective leadership can have the opposite effect.
Less is known about how specific leader behaviors contribute to these outcomes. This article will explore this question by examining several studies on the subject and discussing their implications for organizations.
Some background on the conceptualization of trust, inclusivity, and team cohesion is necessary. Trust refers to the belief that others will act in one's best interest. Inclusion refers to the sense of belongingness and acceptance within a group. Team cohesion involves the members' shared identity and commitment to achieving common goals. These concepts are interrelated; high levels of trust tend to lead to higher levels of inclusion and greater cohesion, while low levels of inclusion may undermine trust and reduce team performance.
Leaders play an essential role in promoting trust, inclusion, and team cohesion through their behavior. One study found that authenticity, honesty, empathy, integrity, competence, and emotional intelligence were positively related to trust (Riggio, Chaleff, & Dutton, 2016). Authentic leaders communicate openly and transparently with their followers, which helps them feel comfortable disclosing information and sharing their concerns. Honest leaders avoid deceit or manipulation and communicate with clarity and accuracy. Empathetic leaders understand and respond to their employees' needs, which leads to greater feelings of connection and support. Integrity leaders keep promises and maintain consistency between words and actions. Emotionally intelligent leaders recognize and regulate their own and other people's emotions, which creates a safe environment where employees can express themselves freely.
Inclusiveness requires leaders to create a sense of psychological safety and belongingness among team members. Leaders who demonstrate psychological safety provide opportunities for personal growth and learning and protect team members from retaliation when they speak up about issues. They also create a sense of belonging by valuing diverse perspectives, fostering collaboration, and recognizing individual contributions.
Team cohesion requires leaders to promote shared identity and commitment. Leaders can do this by establishing clear goals, setting standards of excellence, celebrating successes together, and providing recognition and rewards for team accomplishments.
Some studies have focused on specific leader behaviors that contribute to these outcomes.
Transformational leadership, characterized by inspiration, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, and idealized influence, has been associated with higher levels of trust and inclusion (Bass & Avolio, 1995; Yukl, 2012). Transformational leaders inspire employees to achieve beyond what is required and encourage creative thinking. Individualized consideration involves tailoring the leader's approach to each employee's needs and strengths. Idealized influence involves role modeling positive behaviors and values. These behaviors create a climate of open communication and mutual respect, leading to greater feelings of trust and inclusiveness.
Another study found that servant leadership was positively related to trust, inclusiveness, and team cohesion (Hill, Gillespie, Taylor, & Luthans, 2006). Servant leaders prioritize their employees' development and well-being over their own personal interests and act as stewards of organizational resources. They listen attentively to their employees, provide support when needed, and advocate for them within the organization. This behavior creates a sense of psychological safety and fosters collaboration, which leads to greater trust and inclusiveness. It also promotes shared identity and commitment through its emphasis on servant leadership.
Some research suggests that democratic or participative leadership may be most effective in promoting trust, inclusion, and team cohesion (Deutschman, 2018). Democratic leaders involve followers in decision-making and empower them to contribute ideas and solutions. This behavior fosters collaboration and increases the likelihood that decisions will reflect all team members' perspectives. It can also promote a sense of inclusiveness by acknowledging everyone's contributions and showing respect for different viewpoints.
It can lead to greater trust and cohesion by creating a sense of shared ownership and responsibility for achieving common goals.
Leader behavior is essential in promoting trust, inclusion, and team cohesion. Authenticity, honesty, empathy, integrity, competence, emotional intelligence, psychological safety, individualized consideration, idealized influence, inspiration, intellectual stimulation, role modeling positive behaviors and values, listening attentively, providing support when needed, advocating for employees, involving followers in decision-making, empowering them to contribute ideas and solutions, valuing diverse perspectives, fostering collaboration, recognizing individual contributions, setting clear goals, establishing standards of excellence, celebrating successes together, providing recognition and rewards for team accomplishments, creating a climate of open communication, mutual respect, and stewardship are all potential behaviors that leaders can use to promote these outcomes. Organizations should select leaders with appropriate skills and provide training and development opportunities to help them improve their effectiveness in this area.
In what ways does leadership behavior affect relational trust, inclusion, and team cohesion?
Leadership behavior can have significant effects on relational trust, inclusion, and team cohesion. When leaders demonstrate behaviors that foster trust such as honesty, transparency, reliability, and consistency, they are more likely to build stronger relationships with their followers and create an environment where collaboration and support are encouraged.