A leader must allow people to fulfill this need, or leadership will be fought rather than accepted. Inclusion in certain decisions, involvement in planning activities, and responsibility for choosing specific courses of action are good administrative practices which can be employed to meet this need. Leaders must delegate responsibility to others to keep them motivated. This need is accented on the professional level. People see themselves through the eyes of others.
Social contacts are valuable ways to receive verbal and non-verbal feedback from our peers.
A good leader emphasizes social outings and activities to meet this need and also to build group cohesion. But if a leader intends to build a team or desires positive group dynamics, meeting the affiliation need is critical. People need to know what is going on. It's a strong need. The more they are involved with a group or activity, the more evident this need appears.