Leading from the inside out: a meta-analysis of how, when, and why self-leadership affects individual outcomes. Issue 2 (4th March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Knotts, Kevin; Houghton, Jeffery D.; Pearce, Craig L.; Chen, Huaizhong; Stewart, Greg L.; Manz, Charles C.
• Is Part Of: European journal of work and organizational psychology. Volume 31:Issue 2(2022)
• Page Start: 273
• Page End: 291
• Publication Date: 2022-03-04
• Subjects: Self-leadership -- meta-analysis -- self-efficacy -- performance; Psychology, Industrial -- Periodicals; Organizational behavior -- Periodicals; Personnel management -- Europe -- Periodicals; Work -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Psychology, Industrial -- Periodicals; Work -- psychology -- Periodicals; 158.7
• DOI: 10.1080/1359432X.2021.1953988
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-432X

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Whereas the predominance of leadership research has focused upon top-down influence processes, we examine the process of leading from the inside out, i.e., self-leadership. Based on a meta-analysis of 57 effect sizes and 16, 493 observations, the overall results suggest that self-leadership is positively and strongly related to individual outcomes (ρ = .38). Results also help to clarify when self-leadership is most effective relative to outcome type, showing a stronger relationship between self-leadership and creativity/innovation than between self-leadership and task performance. We further explore the incremental value of cognitive self-leadership strategies over and above basic behaviour-focused self-leadership. Our findings suggest that when individuals engage in cumulative self-leadership involving both behavioural and cognitive strategies, relationships with individual outcomes are stronger than when people employ behaviour-focused self-leadership alone. Finally, we explore a meta-analytic path model examining mediating mechanisms to clarify not only how but also why self-leadership influences outcomes of interest. Implications regarding the nature and importance of the mechanisms through which self-leadership is linked to outcomes and future directions for further advancing self-leadership theory and research are delineated.