Strengthening Leader-Member Exchange Through Everyday Coaching
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57125/FS.2026.03.20.11Keywords:
employee engagement, leader-member exchange, performance coaching, trust, turnover intentions.Abstract
Customer-facing sales teams operate under constant performance scrutiny. However, coaching conversations often frame disengagement and turnover intentions as personal failings rather than as signs of strain in the leader-employee relationship. This integrative literature review draws on leader-member exchange theory to explore how everyday coaching behaviors shape the quality of those relationships in frontline roles. A systematic search and multistage screening across business and education databases informs a structured synthesis of the evidence, focusing on trust cues, reciprocity, and perceived equity. These findings also carry implications for educational leadership contexts in which principals and instructional leaders coach teachers and academic staff through frequent observation, feedback, and professional learning conversations. The findings indicate that relationship quality improves when leaders maintain a consistent cadence, clarify expectations, invite employee voice, and follow through on commitments. Conversely, irregular feedback, selective access to development, and overly corrective tones are more likely to be perceived as favoritism or control, thereby weakening team trust. This review translates the theory of leader-member exchange into observable coaching micro-behaviors that organizations can standardize and assess, shifting the focus from compliance to meaningful relationship-building. Departing from research that treats leader-member exchange as an outcome, this review emphasizes that coaching interactions are the mechanism through which strong exchanges are built. The practical implications highlight the importance of access to coaching for all employees, clear criteria for differentiated support, and brief, frequent check-ins that balance accountability with relationship maintenance.
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