Follower‐rated leadership styles, leader behaviours, and leaders' thinking styles: A test of the cognitive experiential leadership model

Abstract

Objective: The Cognitive Experiential Leadership Model (CELM) predicts that leaders' thinking styles will be related to transformational leadership and effective leadership behaviours, especially influencing tactics and conflict handling styles. However, most of the existing evidence for this model comes from studies that have used self-report methods where self-presentational biases may influence the studies' results. Moreover, there is incomplete evidence for the proposed connections in this model between thinking styles, leadership styles, and leadership behaviour. Method: Using anonymous other-report surveys, in Study 1, followers (N = 192) rated how their leaders think and lead, and in Study 2 followers (N = 129) rated how their leaders think, influence, and handle conflict. Results: As the CELM predicts, leaders' tendency to think rationally and experientially (especially imaginatively) was related to their transformational leadership (Study 1), and their use of effective influencing tactics and conflict management styles (Study 2). Conclusion: Together these studies provide new evidence for the CELM that is not explained by social desirability biases, and suggest a role for follower ratings of leaders' thinking styles in leadership development.

Are Individual Differences in Information-Processing Styles Related to Transformational Leadership? A Test of the Cognitive Experiential Leadership Model

“… Curtis et al (2017) did not find a significant relationship between self-rated emotionality and self-rated transformational leadership in either of their studies. However, Curtis (2020) found that other-rated emotionality and other-rated transformational leadership correlated significantly, albeit weakly.…”

“…In addition, two previous studies have found correlations between self-rated transformational leadership and leaders’ preferences for imaginative thinking ( Curtis et al, 2017 ). Moreover, in the one study, where followers rated both thinking styles and leadership styles, transformational leadership was positively correlated the rational thinking, imagination, and emotionality ( Curtis, 2020 ). These previous studies, also found correlations between self-rated transformational leadership and behavioral coping, and two previous studies ( Atwater and Yammarino, 1993 ; Dubinsky et al, 1995 ) have also found correlations between behavioral coping and other-rated transformational leadership.…”

“… Curtis et al (2017) found that imagination predicted variance in leaders’ transformational leadership beyond that predicted by rational thinking and behavioral coping, but they found no relationship between emotionality and transformational leadership. Similarly, Curtis (2020) found that followers who evaluated their leaders as more imaginative also evaluated their leaders as more transformational. However, these previous studies only used other-report or self-report methods and these relationships are yet to be tested where thinking styles are leader-self-rated and leadership style is evaluated by others.…”

“…Higher level leaders show stronger preferences for rational thinking ( Akinci and Sadler-Smith, 2013 ), and several studies have found significant positive correlations between leaders’ self-rated rational thinking and their self-rated transformational leadership (e.g., Cerni et al, 2008 ; Curtis et al, 2017 ). In addition, leaders who are perceived as more rational by their followers are also rated as more transformational ( Curtis, 2020 ). However, a methodological limitation of this existing evidence is the use of purely self-rated or purely other-rated cross-sectional methods, which may have inflated correlations due to common methods variance.…”

Relationship between Transformational Leadership Style and Leadership Thinking of Provincial Administration Leaders

“…Transformational leadership style is becoming more and more necessary, which also means that leaders need to be creative and flexible in how to inspire employees to give their best, in ways to support employees to develop their intellectual power to an advanced level. Curtis (2020) [53] shown that transformational leadership style and leadership thinking are closely related to leadership performances, especially affecting tactics and conflict-handling styles in leadership activities. Curtis et al (2017) [54] suggested that leadership performance depends quite closely on the relationship between leadership thinking and transformational leadership style.…”