Leadership succeeds when the leader uses his wisdom and maintains different distances within the Group. Mistake not. This is not about equality and equity in treatment. Positive Workplace Citizenship is about equity and equality. This is more about the power distance to be maintained for delivery of assignments between the leader and his delivery team.
There is no formula to measure such distance to be maintained. There is no science to It. It is unique and shifts based on situational guaging by the leader. To that extent it is purely a matter of his art.
Depending on familiarity, role linkages, delivery challenges, capability gaps, element of gaps identified in Leadership style of the sub-ordinate Manager as also the process adopted for the work flow, such distance has to be decided. It is experience and maturity of a seasoned leader that can gauge the accurate distance. Over time as an effective leader, you need to learn this art to become effective