What Makes a Leader? Leadership Identity and Leadership Behavior among Highly Professionalized Public Leaders

TY - JOUR

T1 - What Makes a Leader?

T2 - Leadership Identity and Leadership Behavior among Highly Professionalized Public Leaders

AU - Cecchini, Mathilde

AU - Pedersen, Lars Dahl

AU - Bech, Mickael

AU - Jacobsen, Christian Bøtcher

AU - Hansen, Ane-Kathrine Lundberg

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - The development of a leadership identity has been argued to be an important determinant for what leaders do. For leaders in highly specialized work environments, the development of a leadership identity has been regarded both in absolute terms and in relation to their professional identity. This study investigates the extent to which leadership identity in absolute and relative terms explains various types of leadership behaviors. Based on panel survey data from clinical directors in Danish hospital departments, the findings show that the absolute leadership identity predicts transformational, transactional, and professional development leadership, whereas no correlations are found between relative leadership identity and leadership behavior. The study supports the expectation that leadership identity is, in its own right, an important precondition for leadership behavior.

AB - The development of a leadership identity has been argued to be an important determinant for what leaders do. For leaders in highly specialized work environments, the development of a leadership identity has been regarded both in absolute terms and in relation to their professional identity. This study investigates the extent to which leadership identity in absolute and relative terms explains various types of leadership behaviors. Based on panel survey data from clinical directors in Danish hospital departments, the findings show that the absolute leadership identity predicts transformational, transactional, and professional development leadership, whereas no correlations are found between relative leadership identity and leadership behavior. The study supports the expectation that leadership identity is, in its own right, an important precondition for leadership behavior.

KW - Leadership identity

KW - leadership behavior

KW - manager job satisfaction

KW - public leadership

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85144193110&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/01900692.2022.2150775

DO - 10.1080/01900692.2022.2150775

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0190-0692

VL - 47

SP - 495

EP - 506

JO - International Journal of Public Administration

JF - International Journal of Public Administration

IS - 7

ER -