Leaders Improving Lives: Harnessing the Power of Leaders for Good

Abstract

This symposium examines the determinants of prosocial leader behavior versus the darker, egocentric forms of leadership with the goal of better understanding how to harness the power of leaders for the betterment of groups, organizations, and society as a whole. All four papers explore a different aspect of the prosocial consequences of leadership. Two papers focus on positive leader behaviors and two consider how leaders affect the behavior and engagement of their subordinates. The papers span multiple methodologies, including field studies and experiments. Together, they highlight factors that cause leaders to be attentive to and supportive of others, unleashing a host of positive behaviors among followers. In addition to showcasing emerging research on this topic, we hope to stimulate additional research on the ways in which leaders can improve the lives of others through the discussant’s reflections on the collection of papers, and between speakers and audience members. When Preparing to Give Criticism, Prestige-Oriented Leaders Exhibit Heightened Social Monitoring Presenter: Katherine Kay Bae; U. of Michigan, Ross School of Business Presenter: Charleen R. Case; U. of Michigan, Ross School of Business Presenter: Jon Maner; Northwestern Kellogg School of Management Cascading Empowerment: The Role of Dominance and Prestige Orientation Presenter: Hun Whee Lee; Michigan State U. Presenter: Nicholas Hays; Michigan State U. Leaders' Prestige Motivation Fosters Employees' Ethical Behavior Presenter: Garrett L. Brady; London Business School Presenter: Niro Sivanathan; London Business School Leader Power (In)Stability and Follower Work Engagement: Mediating Role of Benevolence Perceptions Presenter: Ingvild Müller Seljeseth; BI Norwegian Business School