Individual adaptation and relationship management

How can managers create both well-being and results in today's working life? Two key perspectives give us answers: Individual adaptation in leadership and Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory. Here you will gain insight into both, and see how they complement each other.

Perspective 1: Individual adaptation — management on the employee's terms

Individual adaptation is about meeting employees as unique individuals with different needs, strengths and motivational factors. Research shows that employees who use their strengths, feel valued, and receive customized support and responsibility, feel better and perform more.

Key principles:

• Leaders need to map out what motivates the individual -- some need freedom, others framework.

• Small, personal gripes in everyday life (like asking “What do you need from me?”) can have a great effect on well-being and engagement.

• Recognition, reward and development opportunities should be tailored to individual preferences, not given equally to everyone.

• Cultural and gender differences affect how leadership and adaptation are experienced.

Challenges:

Individual adaptation requires time, awareness and transparency about why different employees get different measures. Managers must be careful to avoid perceptions of differential treatment.

Perspective 2: LMX — Relationship Quality as Key to Success

The LMX theory puts the relationship between manager and employee at the center. Each relationship is unique and characterized by trust, communication and support. High LMX produces increased motivation, job satisfaction, and loyalty, while low LMX can lead to exclusion and lower engagement.

Key principles:

• The leader must build strong relationships with everyone -- not just the “favorites” -- and work to include everyone in the team's “in-group.”

• High LMX is characterized by open dialogue, mutual respect, flexibility and common understanding of goals.

• LMX is dynamic: The relationship is developed through role clarification, adaptation and routinization.

• LMX strengthens the effects of individual adaptation — employees with high LMX respond better to changes and are more supportive of organizational development.

Challenges:

There may be click formations and perceptions, r of favoritism. Building relationships with everyone requires time and effort, and leaders need to be aware of their own unconscious preferences.

Interaction and Wholeness: Two Perspectives — One Practice

These perspectives complement each other:

• Individual adaptation provides the manager with a tool to meet different needs, while LMX provides a framework for understanding why the quality of the relationship is crucial to the effect of the adaptation.

• Research shows that transformational leadership and individual adaptation often work through relationship quality (LMX) — it is in the interaction between seeing the individual and building relationship that leadership really produces results.

• In change processes, the combination of high LMX and individual adaptation is essential for creating trust, support and adaptability.

Practical advice for managers

• Map out individual needs: Use conversations and observation to understand what motivates and engages the individual.

• Build strong relationships: Prioritize time for one-on-one dialogues, show interest in employee development, and be open and fair.

• Be transparent: Explain why you're making various adjustments, and be open to feedback.

• Work for Inclusion: Avoid click-throughs by giving everyone the opportunity to get “into the heat” — also actively use your team's informal leaders.

• Evaluate and learn: Use feedback and self-reflection to develop both relationships and adaptation strategies.

Conclusion

Modern leadership is not just about managing, but about watching, listening and adapting — both as a relationship builder (LMX) and as an individual-oriented leader. When you combine these perspectives, you build both strong teams and high levels of well-being — and lay the foundation for lasting results in a changing world.

References:

Abelha et al. (2018)

Theme: Gender and Culture in Leadership

Findings: Transformational leadership has stronger positive effect on job satisfaction in women than men. Cultural differences also affect how leadership is perceived and valued.

Esteves & Lopes (2017)

Theme: Job crafting and well-being

Findings: Employees who are given the opportunity to customize work tasks (“job crafting”) experience increased energy, ownership and job satisfaction. Leaders should support and facilitate such initiatives.

Gerstner, C. R., & Day, D.V. (1997)

Topic: LMX and work outcomes

Findings: Meta-analysis showing that the quality of the manager-employee relationship (LMX) is strongly correlated with job satisfaction, performance, and organizational loyalty.

Graen, G. B., & Uhl-Bien, M. (1995)

Topic: Development of the LMX theory

Findings: Provides an overview of 25 years of development of the LMX theory, emphasizing the importance of individual leader-employee relationships for motivation and performance.

Hofmans et al. (2013)

Theme: Rewards and Motivation

Findings: Employees have different preferences for reward (salary, praise, freedom, belonging). Managers should adapt reward form according to individual needs to increase job satisfaction.

Ilies, R., Nahrgang, J. D., & Morgeson, F. P. (2007)

Theme: LMX and extra-role behavior

Findings: Meta-analysis showing that high LMX leads to more “organizational citizenship” (extra effort, collaboration, and support) among employees.

Liu et al. (2019)

Topic: Personal Strengths and Social Adaptation

Findings: Employees who get to use their strengths and feel socially included report higher job satisfaction. Especially when they get to contribute beyond core tasks.

Rezapour & Ardabili Sales (2017)

Topic: Manager-Employee Relationship and Satisfaction

Findings: The quality of the relationship between manager and employee is crucial for job satisfaction. Customized communication and trust produce the best results.

Star & Lightning (2016)

Topic: Transformational Leadership and Job Satisfaction

Findings: Transformational leadership, characterized by inspiration, trust and support, produces increased job satisfaction -- especially when the leader adapts to the individual.

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