Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Psychodynamic Leadership Approach and Leader-Member Exchange (LMX): A Psychiatric Perspective on Two Leadership Theories and Implications for Training Future Psychiatrist Leaders

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
GeNeDis 2016

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 988))

Abstract

An increased emphasis in recent years on psychiatrists as healthcare leaders has not only drawn attention to the skills they can bring to this role but has also raised questions about how to best train and prepare them to assume leadership responsibilities. Such training should not be conducted in isolation from, and oblivious to, the wide-ranging expertise in human behaviour and relationships that psychiatrists can bring to the leadership arena. The aim of this theoretical paper is to draw attention to how psychiatrists can use their existing knowledge and skill set to inform their understanding of leadership theory and practice. In particular, the Psychodynamic Leadership Approach and Leader-Member Exchange theory are compared and contrasted to illustrate this point. The former represents a less well-known approach to leadership theory and practice whereas the latter is a widely familiar, conventional theory that is regularly taught in leadership courses. Both are underpinned by their emphasis on leader-follower relationships—and human relationships more broadly—and are intuitively appealing to psychiatrists endeavouring to understand aspects of organisational behaviour in the healthcare settings in which they work and lead. The application of these theories to assist reflection on and understanding of professional and personal leadership behaviours through leadership-oriented Balint-style groups and 360-degree appraisal is proposed. It is hoped that this paper will serve to stimulate thought and discussion about how leadership training for future psychiatrists can be tailored to better harness their existing competencies, thereby developing richer formative learning experiences and, ultimately, achieving superior leadership outcomes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Bhugra, D., S. Bell, and A. Burns. 2007. Management for Psychiatrists. 3rd ed. Champaign, IL: RCPsych Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bhugra, D., P. Ruiz, and S. Gupta. 2013. Leadership in Psychiatry. Somerset: Wiley.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  3. Bhugra, D., and A. Ventriglio. 2016. Medical Leadership in the 21st Century. Australas Psychiatry 1039856216641308.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Callaly, T., and H. Minas. 2005. Reflections on Clinician Leadership and Management in Mental Health. Australasian Psychiatry 13: 27–32.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Christensen, T., and J.K. Stoller. 2016. Physician Leadership Development at Cleveland Clinic: A Brief Review. Australasian Psychiatry 24: 235–239.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Kyratsis, Y., K. Armit, A. Zyada, and P. Lees. 2016. Medical Leadership and Management in the United Kingdom. Australasian Psychiatry 24: 240–242.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Goodall, A.H. 2015. A Theory of Expert Leadership in Psychiatry. Australas Psychiatry 1039856215609760.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Kets de Vries, M.F.R. 2006. The Leader on the Couch: A Clinical Approach to Changing People and Organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kets de Vries, M.F.R., and A. Cheak. 2014. Psychodynamic Approach. France: Fontainebleau Cedex.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Zaleznik, A. 1981. Managers and Leaders: Are They Different? The Journal of Nursing Administration 11: 25–31.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Maccoby, M. 1976. The Gamesman: The New Corporate Leaders. New York: Simon and Schuster.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Freud, S. 1938. The Basic Writings of Sigmund Freud (1995). Modern Library ed. New York: Modern Library.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Winkler, I. 2010. Contemporary Leadership Theories: Enhancing the Understanding of the Complexity, Subjectivity and Dynamic of Leadership. Berlin: Physica-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Kets de Vries, M.F.R. 1979. Managers Can Drive Their Subordinates Mad. Harvard Business Review: 125–134.

    Google Scholar 

  15. ———. 2001. Struggling with the Demon: Perspectives on Individual and Organizational Irrationality. Madison, CT: Psychosocial Press.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Pervin, L.A. 1993. Personality: Theory and Research. 6th ed. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Ogden, T.H. 1979. On Projective Identification. The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis 60: 357–373.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. ———. 1992. The Matrix of the Mind Object Relations and the Psychoanalytic Dialogue. London: Karnac.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Goethals, G.R. 2005. The Psychodynamics of Leadership: Freud’s Insights and Their Vicissitudes. In The Psychology of Leadership: New Perspectives and Research, ed. D.M. Messick and R.M. Kramer, 99–116. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Argyris, C. 1957. Personality and Organization: The Conflict Between System and the Individual. New York: Harper.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Berne, E. 1961. Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy: A Systematic Individual and Social Psychiatry. New York: Grove Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  22. Harris, T.A. 1969. I’m OK, You’re OK: A Practical Guide to Transactional Analysis. New York: Harper & Row.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Freud, S. 1953. The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud. London: Hogarth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Maccoby, M. 2000. Narcissistic Leaders: The Incredible Pros, the Inevitable Cons. Harvard Business Review: 68–77.

    Google Scholar 

  25. McCullough Vaillant, L. 1997. Changing Character: Short-Term Anxiety-Regulating Psychotherapy for Restructuring Defenses, Affects, and Attachment. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Dansereau, F., G. Graen, and W.J. Haga. 1975. A Vertical Dyad Linkage Approach to Leadership within Formal Organizations: A Longitudinal Investigation of the Role Making Process. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance 13: 46–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Graen, G., and J.F. Cashman. 1975. A Role Making Model of Leadership in Formal Organizations: A Developmental Approach. In Leadership Frontiers, ed. J.G. Hunt and L.L. Larson, 143–165. Comparative Administration Research Institute, Graduate School of Business Administration, Kent State University: Kent, OH.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Yukl, G.A. 2013. Leadership in Organizations Global Edition. 8th ed. Harlow: Pearson.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Messick, D.M. 2005. On the Psychological Exchange Between Leaders and Followers. In The Psychology of Leadership: New Perspectives and Research, ed. D.M. Messick and R.M. Kramer, 83–98. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  30. van Breukelen, W., B. Schyns, and P. Le Blanc. 2006. Leader-Member Exchange Theory and Research: Accomplishments and Future Challenges. Leadership 2: 295–316. doi:10.1177/1742715006066023.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Liden, R.C., S.J. Wayne, and D. Sitwell. 1993. A Longitudinal Study on the Early Development of Leader-Member Exchanges. The Journal of Applied Psychology: 662–674.

    Google Scholar 

  32. DuBrin, A.J., C. Dalglish, and P. Miller. 2006. Leadership. 2nd Asia-Pacific ed. Australia, Milton, Queensland: John Wiley and Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Dienesch, R.M., and R.C. Liden. 1986. Leader-Member Exchange Model of Leadership: A Critique and Further Development. Academy of Management Review 11: 618–634.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Liden, R.C., and J.M. Maslyn. 1998. Multidimensionality of Leader-Member Exchange: An Empirical Assessment Through Scale Development. Journal of Management 24: 43–72.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Graen, G.B., and M. Uhl-Bien. 1991. The Transformation of Professionals into Self-Managing and Partially Self-Designing Contributors: Toward a Theory of Leadership-Making. Journal of Manufacturing Systems 3: 25–39.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Klein, H.J., and J.S. Kim. 1998. A Field Study of the Influence of Situational Constraints Leader-Member Exchange, and Goal Commitment on Performance. Academy of Management Journal 41: 88–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Settoon, R.P., N. Bennett, and R.C. Liden. 1996. Social Exchange in Organizations: Perceived Organizational Support, Leader–Member Exchange, and Employee Reciprocity. The Journal of Applied Psychology 81: 219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Tierney, P., and T.N. Bauer. 1996. A Longitudinal Assessment of LMX on Extra-Role Behavior. Academy of Management Best Papers Proceedings 8: 298–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. DuBrin, A.J. 2016. Leadership: Research Findings, Practice, and Skills. 8th ed. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Venkataramani, V., S.G. Green, and D.J. Schleicher. 2010. Well-Connected Leaders: The Impact of Leaders’ Social Network Ties on LMX and Members’ Work Attitudes. The Journal of Applied Psychology 95: 1071–1084. doi:10.1037/a0020214.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Piccolo, R.F., and J.A. Colquitt. 2006. Transformational Leadership and Job Behaviors: The Mediating Role of Core Job Characteristics. Academy of Management Journal 49: 327–340.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Zhang, Z., D.A. Waldman, and Z. Wang. 2012. A Multilevel Investigation of Leader–Member Exchange, Informal Leader Emergence, and Individual and Team Performance. Personnel Psychology 65: 49–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Hofmann, D.A., and F.P. Morgeson. 1999. Safety-Related Behavior as a Social Exchange: The Role of Perceived Organizational Support and Leader-Member Exchange. Journal of Applied Psychology 84 (2): 286–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Northouse, P.G. 1997. Leadership: Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  45. Graen, G.B., and M. Uhl-Bien. 1995. Relationship-Based Approach to Leadership: Development of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory of Leadership over 25 Years: Applying a Multi-Level Multi-Domain Perspective. The Leadership Quarterly 6: 219–247.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Henderson, D.J., R.C. Liden, B.C. Glibkowski, and A. Chaudhry. 2009. LMX Differentiation: A Multilevel Review and Examination of Its Antecedents and Outcomes. The Leadership Quarterly 20: 517–534. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2009.04.003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Green, S.G., S.E. Anderson, and S.L. Shivers. 1996. Demographic and Organizational Influences on Leader–Member Exchange and Related Work Attitudes. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 66: 203–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Kets de Vries, M.F.R., E. Florent-Treacy, L. Guillen, and K. Korotov. 2010. The Proof is in the Pudding: An Integrative, Psychodynamic Approach to Evaluating a Leadership Development Program. In The Coaching Kaleidoscope: Insights from the Inside, ed. M. Kets de Vries, L. Guillen, K. Korotov, and E. Florent-Treacy, 3–19. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  49. Bell, J., and C. Huffington. 2008. Coaching for Leadership Development: A Systems Psychodynamic Approach. In Leadership Learning: Knowledge into Action, ed. K. Turnbull James and J. Collins, 93–110. Basingstoke; New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  50. Ward, G., E. van de Loo, and S. ten Have. 2014. Psychodynamic Group Executive Coaching: A Literature Review. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring 12: 63–78.

    Google Scholar 

  51. Balint, M. 1957. The Doctor, his Patient and the Illness. London: Pitman Medical.

    Google Scholar 

  52. Samuel, O. 1989. How Doctors Learn in a Balint Group. Family Practice 6: 108–113.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. Johnson, A.H., D.E. Nease, L.C. Milberg, and R.B. Addison. 2004. Essential Characteristics of Effective Balint Group Leadership. Family Medicine 36: 253–259.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. Van Roy, K., S. Vanheule, and R. Inslegers. 2015. Research on Balint Groups: A Literature Review. Patient Education and Counseling 98: 685–694. doi:10.1016/j.pec.2015.01.014.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Graham, S., L. Gask, G. Swift, and M. Evans. 2009. Balint-Style Case Discussion Groups in Psychiatric Training: An Evaluation. Academic Psychiatry 33: 198–203.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Fitzgerald, G., and M.D. Hunter. 2003. Organising and Evaluating a Balint Group for Trainees in Psychiatry. Psychiatric Bulletin 27: 434–436.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  57. Mastrangelo, A., E.R. Eddy, and S.J. Lorenzet. 2004. The Importance of Personal and Professional Leadership. Leadership and Organization Development Journal 25: 435–451. doi:10.1108/01437730410544755.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  58. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. 2016. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program. https://www.ranzcp.org/Membership/CPD-program.aspx. Accessed 23 Sep 2016.

  59. The Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators. 2016. Continuing Professional Development Standard. http://www.racma.edu.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22&Itemid=185. Accessed 23 Sep 2016.

  60. The Medical Board of Australia. 2016. Registration standard: Continuing professional development. http://www.medicalboard.gov.au/documents/default.aspx?record=WD16%2f19473&dbid=AP&chksum=r3KA%2fZ0ECm3jZ1M7CfEMSw%3d%3d. Accessed 23 Sep 2016.

  61. ———. 2016. Options for revalidation in Australia: Discussion Paper. http://www.medicalboard.gov.au/documents/default.aspx?record=WD16%2f21163&dbid=AP&chksum=1AmBXmPS80XN5gNGp%2bQvlQ%3d%3d. Accessed 19 Sep 2016.

  62. Freeth, D. 2014. Interprofessional Education. In Understanding Medical Education: Evidence,Theory and Practice, ed. T. Swanwick, 2nd ed., 81–96. Chichester, West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  63. World Health Organization. 2015. Mental Health Atlas 2014. Geneva: World Health Organization.

    Google Scholar 

  64. Whitehouse, A., A. Hassell, A. Bullock, et al. 2007. 360 Degree Assessment (Multisource Feedback) of UK Trainee Doctors: Field Testing of Team Assessment of Behaviours (TAB). Medical Teacher 29: 171–176. doi:10.1080/01421590701302951.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  65. Dubinsky, I., K. Jennings, M. Greengarten, and A. Brans. 2010. 360-Degree Physician Performance Assessment. Healthcare Quarterly 13: 71–76.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  66. General Medical Council. 2016. 4a – Revalidation: Guidance on Colleague and Patient Questionnaires: Annex A. http://www.gmc-uk.org/4a__Revalidation__Guidance_on_Colleague_and_Patient_Questionnaires___Annex_A.pdf_40022212.pdf. Accessed 23 Sep 2016

  67. Mason, R., S. Power, J. Parker-Swift, and E. Baker. 2009. 360-Degree Appraisal: A Simple Pragmatic Solution. Clinical Governance: An International Journal 14: 295–300. doi:10.1108/14777270911007818.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding No sources of funding were received for this work.

Conflicts of Interest The author reports no conflicts of interest and is alone responsible for the content and writing of this paper.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Monash Ageing Research Centre (MONARC), Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Christos Plakiotis

  2. Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Christos Plakiotis

  3. Aged Persons Mental Health Service, Monash Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Christos Plakiotis

  4. Aged Psychiatry Academic Unit (Monash University), c/o Medical Administration, Kingston Centre, Warrigal Road, Cheltenham, VIC, 3192, Australia

    Christos Plakiotis

Authors
  1. Christos Plakiotis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christos Plakiotis .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Informatics, Bioinformatics and Human Electrophysiology Laboratory, Ionian University, Corfu, Greece

    Panayiotis Vlamos

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

About this paper

Cite this paper

Plakiotis, C. (2017). Psychodynamic Leadership Approach and Leader-Member Exchange (LMX): A Psychiatric Perspective on Two Leadership Theories and Implications for Training Future Psychiatrist Leaders. In: Vlamos, P. (eds) GeNeDis 2016. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 988. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56246-9_8

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation