Leading through ‘I’ versus ‘we’: Leader motivation and behaviour rooted in leader identity and team identity

We examine how leaders’ self-concepts as a leader (leader identity) and as a team member (team identity) shape motivation and behaviour. In Studies 1 (N=667) and 2 (N=432), field surveys of people with leadership responsibility, revealed that leader identity predicted more strongly leaders’ motivation to build their personal identity around themselves as a leader than their motivation to engage in identity leadership (building a social identity around team members). Conversely, team identity more strongly predicted motivation to engage in identity leadership than motivation to build a personal identity as a leader. Team identity also predicted greater, whereas leader identity predicted less, team member-oriented organisational citizenship behaviour and resource-sharing with team members. Study 3 (N=60 leaders; 120 team members), a laboratory experiment with student groups, replicated these findings and examined resource-sharing behaviour in interacting teams. Studies 2 and 3 also examined brief self-reflection as a leadership development tool. Self-reflection on leader distinctiveness strengthened leader identity among new-group leaders, while reflection on team distinctiveness strengthened team identity among established-group leaders. Overall, leader identity and team identity provide distinct bases for leadership, with team identity being a stronger driver of leaders’ motivation to build a sense of ‘us’ and support team members.