Leader self‐sacrifice: A systematic review of two decades of research and an agenda for future research

Abstract

AbstractThe corridors of history are filled with examples of leaders whose enduring legacies are typified by self‐sacrifice for the greater good during difficult times. Over the last two decades, scholarly interest in self‐sacrificial leader behaviours has increased. In the present article, we conduct a systematic review of prior empirical findings to highlight what we know about leader self‐sacrifice and galvanise future research to examine its implications for the workplace. To achieve this purpose, our review examines how leader self‐sacrifice has been defined and measured in previous work and develops an integrative framework that synthesises empirical work on its antecedents, outcomes, boundary conditions and underlying mechanisms. Based on our review, we articulate a comprehensive research agenda that identifies opportunities for theoretical, empirical and methodological advances in the field.