Leading When the Boss is Present: How Leadership Structure Schemas Affect Leadership Behavior

We examine how leadership structure schemas (LSS) – mental models of how leadership is most effectively structured in groups – interact with formal authority to influence individuals’ leadership behavior and perceptions of others who lead. Across two experiments and a field study, we find that for individuals without formal authority, holding a more shared LSS (relative to a more hierarchical LSS) is positively associated with leadership behavior. However, this effect reverses for individuals in authority positions. Additionally, individuals who engage in leadership behavior are seen as higher in interpersonal warmth by observers who hold a more shared rather than a more hierarchical LSS.