Leader identity as a psychological resource: Shaping stress appraisals and leadership behaviors across managerial and non-managerial roles

This research explores the role of leader identity as a vital resource for both managers and individuals in non-managerial roles, expanding on existing leadership theories and stress appraisal models. We demonstrate that a salient leader identity helps individuals to reframe leadership stressors as motivating challenges rather than hindrances, contributing to leadership effectiveness and resilience. Two studies were conducted to investigate this relationship. Study 1 examined the congruence between leader identity and role expectations, revealing that managers, but also non-managers, who identify strongly as leaders tend to appraise stressors as challenges. Individuals who do not view themselves as leaders are less likely to view leadership stressors as challenges, and more likely to view them as hindrances, especially when they do not occupy a leadership role. Study 2 replicated these findings in a field sample of managers and found that those with a salient leader identity experience lower hindrance stress and engage more in task- and change-oriented behaviors than peers who do not. These findings suggest that leader identity is crucial for managing leadership stress and influencing leadership behaviors, even for those outside formal managerial roles.