The role of leadership on employee mental ill-health through workplace disruption: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal research

Abstract

As socio-global events more frequently disrupt workplaces, understanding leadership's dynamic and context-sensitive role in shaping employee wellbeing during periods of uncertainty has become increasingly important. Drawing on the Conservation of Resources Theory, this study synthesized current longitudinal evidence on the association between leadership and mental ill-health (i.e. stress, burnout, psychological distress). We systematically reviewed 106 longitudinal studies, and meta-analysed 191 time-lagged effect sizes, to compare direct leadership associations and the moderating role of workplace disruption. Twenty-four studies reported a disruptive workplace context, identified by the novelty, criticality or discontinuity of the event. Meta-analytic results revealed that leadership styles differed in the magnitude of their peak observed association with employee mental ill-health outcomes. Servant Leadership showed the strongest negative association with burnout across all leadership styles, although evidence was mixed across other outcomes. Destructive/Abusive Leadership styles had consistently strong effects across all mental ill-health outcomes. Workplace disruption weakened the negative association of Supportive Leadership and stress, but further amplified the positive association between Autocratic Leadership and psychological distress. Statistical analyses and narrative commentary identified key opportunities to improve future longitudinal leadership research. Organizations can leverage these findings to promote sustainable leadership behaviours that enhance mental health generally and through adversity.