We offer a comprehensive review of the theoretical underpinnings and existing empirical evidence in the implicit leadership and implicit followership theories domain. After briefly touching on the historical roots of information-processing approaches to leadership and leader categorization theory, we focus on current contextualized and dynamic perspectives. We specifically present neural network approaches and adaptive resonance processes that guide leadership perceptions. We further address measurement issues, emerging areas of study such as implicit leadership theories, and identity and cross-cultural issues. We offer specific avenues for future research in the form of a systematic list of unanswered research questions and further outline leadership development implications.

(2015) 'Reconsidering the accuracy of follower leadership ratings.', Leadership quarterly., 26 (2). pp. 220-237. Further information on publisher's website:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua. 2014.11.006 Publisher's copyright statement: NOTICE: this is the author's version of a work that was accepted for publication in The Leadership Quarterly. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A denitive version was subsequently published in The Leadership Quarterly, 26, 2, April 2015, 10.1016/j.leaqua.2014 Additional information: Use policyThe full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that:• a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in DRO • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.Please consult the full DRO policy for further details. AbstractAccurate behavioral measurement is essential to developing a science of leadership, yet accurate measurement has remained elusive. The use of follower reports of leader behavior creates challenges given that a large body of basic and applied research suggests that behavioral ratings reflect not only recall of actual behaviors, but also inferences based on semantic memory, which may vary among individuals. In this paper, we examine several explanations for rater effects that are associated with follower individual differences, contextual factors, and even research methods, such as the type of measure used, that may bias ratings of leader behavior. We also develop a conceptual model to illustrate these processes. Finally, we offer potential solutions to increase accuracy in follower reports of leader behavior. ACCURACY OF FOLLOWER LEADERSHIP RATINGS 3The leadership field relies heavily on follower ratings of leader behavior both in research settings to test leadership theories and in applied settings for leadership development purposes (e.g., 360-degree feedback). Given that leadership reflects a dynamic interaction between leaders and followers (Riggio, Chaleff, & Lipman-Blumen, 2008;Shamir, Pillai, Bligh, & Uhl-Bien, 2006), follower ratings provide an important source of data. Indeed, Shamir (2007) describes followers as "co-producers of leadership." However, reliance on follower ratings of leader behavior as a key measure of leadership processes, or even as the sole measure, creates significant challenges. In particular, followers become important contributors to the processes they are used to measure, raising both the issue of accuracy of leader ratings and the potential for biases in ratings processes that are associ...

The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in DRO • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.

Attachment theory suggests that unmet needs may filter perceptions of reality. Moreover, since the attachment system is always primed in anxious individuals, it tends to bias cognitive processing in a self-sustaining manner. Here, it is proposed that individuals high in attachment anxiety are predisposed to perceive leaders as capable of meeting their needs. An exploratory laboratory study was conducted to examine the relationship between attachment anxiety and perceptions of transformational leadership. Individuals who scored high in attachment anxiety reported transformational leadership, even though such elements were objectively absent. The implications for follower receptiveness to transformational and charismatic leadership are discussed.j asp_913 1533..1549

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Although transformational leadership has been described as an ideal leadership style, there have been recent calls for research to examine why the concept of transformational leadership appeals to some individuals but not to others. Accordingly, three empirical studies were conducted to investigate the impact of personality and implicit leadership theories on the appeal of transformational leadership. The results indicate that conscientiousness strongly impacts the appeal of transformational leadership. Furthermore, the implicit leadership theory dimension of dedication mediates the relationship between conscientiousness and the appeal of transformational leadership. These findings thus question the universal appeal of transformational leadership as well as provide an explanatory mechanism regarding the differential appeal of transformational leadership.

Two empirical studies examined the relationship between individual‐level Romance of Leadership and causal attributions to test and extend the construct validity of the Romance of Leadership Scale. As anticipated, Romance of Leadership significantly predicted attributions to the leader, but not to the situation or the followers. The effect of leader experience on the relationship between Romance of Leadership and attributions was also examined. It was determined that individuals high in Romance of Leadership weigh information about leader experience more heavily than do others. Implications for organizations are discussed.

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