INDIVIDUALIZED LEADERSHIP - A NEW MULTIPLE-LEVEL APPROACH

A model of ''individualized leadership'' from the perspective of forma lly assigned superiors and subordinates is developed and tested. ''Lea dership'' is defined as occurring when a superior is able to secure sa tisfying performance from a subordinate. It is shown that one mechanis m for securing leadership is for a superior to provide support for a s ubordinate's feelings of self-worth. Analysis of data from U.S. and fo reign sources indicate that in the absence of support for a subordinat e's feelings of self-worth, a superior will not become a leader for th at subordinate or receive satisfying performance. In contrast to tradi tional approaches, the authors show that to be successful, leadership efforts must vary within and between work groups, depending on the ind ividual (subordinate) with whom a superior interacts; thus, the term ' 'individualized leadership.''