Dispositional affect and leadership effectiveness: A comparison of self-esteem, optimism, and efficacy

A two-part study examined the effects of leadership efficacy and optimism o n the evaluation and performance of military cadet leaders. Cadets at sever al universities responded to measures of leadership confidence and optimism . In Part I, the cadets (n = 96) were rated for leadership potential by the ir military science professors, Both leadership efficacy and optimism were associated with rated leadership potential Part 2 followed most of the same cadets (n = 64) to U.S. Army summer leadership training. Leadership effica cy, but not optimism, was strongly related to performance evaluations by ob jective observers in a leadership simulation and to leadership ratings by p eers and superiors. A measure of general self-esteem was not an independent predictor of leadership performance ratings, and neither leadership effica cy nor optimism predicted nonleadership performance measures, These finding s suggest that self-rated leadership efficacy has concurrent, predictive, a nd discriminant validity as a contributor to leadership evaluations.