Followers' attachment styles and their preference for social or for personal charismatic leaders

Abstract

Purpose

Psychological research on leadership deals mainly with the effect of leadership styles on workers' attitudes and performance. This paper seeks to focus the attention to patterns of preference of followers to different types of leaders.

Design/methodology/approach

In the two studies presented in the paper, followers classified on the basis of attachment theory as having secure attachment style or avoidant attachment style were asked to indicate their preference for a personalized charismatic leader or for a socialized charismatic leader.

Findings

Subjects with a secure attachment style preferred a socialized charismatic leader, while those with an avoidant attachment style preferred personalized charismatic leaders.

Practical implications

The study adds knowledge regarding compatibility between leaders' and followers' personality characteristics. This knowledge could serve processes of selection and assignments to teams and missions.

Oriiginality/ value

This study provides a relatively new angle for looking at leader‐led dynamics and is an attempt to examine the initial (unconscious) attractions of followers to different types of leaders.

Citation

Shalit, A., Popper, M. and Zakay, D. (2010), "Followers' attachment styles and their preference for social or for personal charismatic leaders", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 31 No. 5, pp. 458-472. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437731011056461