From Management to Leadership: Strategies for Transforming Health, 3rd Edition

The Nature of the Leadership Relationship

Establishing and cultivating a healthy relationship with followers is an initial step in developing the ability to influence others. This can be accomplished by ensuring that the four elements of a healthy relationship—trust, mutual respect, support, and communication—are in place. Understanding the concepts of collaboration and partnership is also important because these describe the nature of effective leader-follower relationships.

Collaboration and partnering are terms similar in meaning. Collaboration refers to work or labor accomplished together, and partner is derived from the word partake, meaning “to share.” The essence of a successful leader’s relationship with followers and key stakeholders ...