The Way I See You. Implicit Followership Theories Explored Through the Lens of Attachment

Abstract

Building on Bowlby’s (1969/1982) attachment theory, the present study examines the relationship between leaders’ attachment style, mirroring their relational experiences with significant others, and implicit followership theories (IFTs). Drawing on the principle of schema transference, it was hypothesized that both anxious and avoidant attachment styles were related to negative IFTs. Furthermore, investigating the phenomenon of defensive projection, it was proposed that leaders’ perception of own competence level would moderate the relationship between avoidant style and the IFT facet “incompetence,” so that avoidant leaders feeling less competent at work would view followers as more incompetent than other avoidant leaders. Survey data were collected from 258 leaders in a variety of work settings. Hierarchical regression analyses supported both hypotheses. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.