Leadership strategies for building relationships in global organizations

Relationship Building

When it comes to the success of an organization, the relevance of well-founded relationships cannot be overstated. This is more so the case for modern companies seeking to remain relevant in a word that is increasingly becoming a global village. In this text, I explore the various strategies leaders utilize to build relationships and how these strategies impact on the success of an organization. Further, I look at how global organizations accomplish relationship building and the various challenges they encounter in their efforts to do so. Lastly, I outline the strategies I employ in relationship building.

Strategies Used by Effective Leaders to Build Relationships

According to Chiappetta and Sandbergh (2004), establishing lasting relationships with subordinates remains a critical role for any leader. Leaders must therefore embrace a number of strategies in their quest to build relationships. One such strategy is availability. In this case, leaders ensure they are available to juniors by opening up communication channels so that it becomes easier for employees to air their grievances. This facilitates the development of relationships while at the same time enhancing effectiveness at the workplace. Another strategy often used by leaders to build relationships is acknowledgement of efforts. This approach gives employees a feeling of recognition and appreciation. In this regard, their confidence levels are boosted and so are their relations with superiors. Further, leaders can seek to connect with their subordinates by being more than just available to them. In this approach, the goal is to make employees feel comfortable when relating with the leader. For instance, in regard to a team, the leader might seek to have a night out with team members.

According to Chiappetta and Sandbergh (2004), enhancing relationships in the workplace has a number of benefits including a reduction in employee turnover rates. This the author attributes to the knowledge employees have; that leaders have their needs at heart. Further, such strategies can have a positive impact on productivity. When employees are able to relate freely with their seniors and voice out their concerns openly, they tend to work harder as they are more motivated. Enhanced relationships also facilitate the identification of various problems at the workplace for their quick resolution.

When it comes to global organizations, relationship building can be accomplished in a number of ways. According to Pisapia (2009), bonding is one of the many approaches used by organizations to build relationships. Some of the global organizations already using this approach according to the author include Southwest Airlines. In this case, leaders bond with subordinates by utilizing tactics of social influence (Pisapia, 2009). Another approach is bridging which is essentially the move by leaders to enhance support for their objectives by forming alliances with individuals from inside and outside the company. However, relationship building has its own unique challenges. One of these challenges is mistrust. When it comes to relationship building, trust comes across as being a critical lubricant. The lack of it frustrates relationship building efforts. Next, the lack of effective communication channels is yet another threat to relationship building. The reasoning here is that without effective communication, a leader cannot be able to effectively initiate, manage and foster relationships. Existing and/or acquired stereotypes are another challenge to team building.