Leadership Research Summary:
• The current study examined the association between leadership self-efficacy and the developmental leadership model. The purpose was to better understand how leadership training transfers to facets of developmental leadership. This was tested in a cross-sectional design with military commanders in the Swedish Armed Forces.
• The results show that the sub-domain of leader self-control efficacy (the cognitive and emotional ability to remain composure) did not predict developmental leadership, but that leader assertiveness efficacy (the ability to make rational decisions) predicted the two dimensions of the exemplary model, and inspiration and motivation in the developmental leadership model.
• One possibility is that leader self-control efficacy can be what enables the individual to function within an extreme context, but leader assertiveness efficacy can be what most determines the leadership performance within that context. The possibility for mediatory analyses in further research is discussed.
Leadership Research Findings:
• The aim of the present study was to investigate how leadership self-efficacy (indicated by leader self-control efficacy and leader assertiveness efficacy) was associated with developmental leadership and its specific dimensions. The results indicated partial associations between the study variables.
• Leader self-control efficacy did not predict developmental leadership in any dimensions. Although it had a strong correlation with the other subdimension of leadership self-efficacy, it did not contribute with any unique variance in any of the dimensions of developmental leadership.
• Leader assertiveness efficacy predicted three dimensions of developmental leadership. When the desirable competencies from the developmental leadership model were added, the beta-weights for leader assertiveness efficacy ceased being significant or remaining significant but with a lower beta coefficient in the two dimensions of individual consideration and inspiration and motivation.
• This is not that surprising given that the four factors added are those that have previously been shown to contribute to developmental leadership (Larsson, 2006), indicating that leadership assertiveness efficacy alone is not sufficient but requires specific competencies for successful leadership performance.
• The differences between leader self-control efficacy and leader assertiveness efficacy are particularly interesting. Leader self-control efficacy did not seem to contribute directly to the three dimensions of developmental leadership as has been suggested. One possible explanation is that leader self-control efficacy is more of a prerequisite than something that directly affects leadership behaviours. This explanation is supported by self-efficacy theory, in that the individual ability to maintain cognitive, emotional, and behavioural regulation allows assertive action, leading to successful performance (Bandura, 1997).
• The definitions of the sub-components by Samuels et al. (2010) also imply that leader assertiveness efficacy is more closely related to action and performance when they describe that “self-control efficacy can contribute to efficacy for thought, self-motivation, and action, whereas leader assertiveness efficacy can contribute to efficacy for means and action” (p. 121). Simplified, leader self-control efficacy can be what enables the individual to function within an extreme context, whereas leader assertiveness efficacy can be what most determines the leadership behaviour within that context.