The role of the leader in fostering employee resilient behaviors: a multi-source, longitudinal study

In this study, we aim to uncover the relationship between leadership behaviors (servant and resilient) and leaders’ psychological capital and employee resilient behaviors, and we assess whether employee resilient behaviors and employee psychological capital mediate this relationship. To support the theoretical propositions in our model, we draw on the key premises of the Conservation of Resources theory. Based on dyadic three-wave data collected from 111 unique leader-follower pairs, we use time-lagged path analysis to test our hypotheses. Results suggest that servant leadership and leaders’ psychological capital may strengthen employees’ psychological capital, which in turn may foster resilient behaviors in employees over time. Resilient leadership was negatively related to employee psychological capital on the short run, but positively related to employee resilient behaviors over a six week time window. In conclusion leaders can, by enacting servant leadership and through their psychological capital, stimulate resilient behaviors in employees.