Unravelling the interplay of authentic leadership, emotional intelligence, cultural intelligence and psychological well-being

Orientation: Organisations are met with many challenges specifically effective leadership of employees. The role of authentic leadership (AL) in the relationship between emotional intelligence (EQ), cultural intelligence (CQ), and psychological well-being (PWB) can add valuable insights to organisations. Research purpose: The study’s focus was to understand the relationships between EQ, AL, CQ, and PWB. Furthermore, it sought to explore the mediating effect AL has in the proposed model. Motivation for the study: Developing well-rounded leaders and managers to adopt an AL style, can increase positive outcomes for employees and organisations. Research approach/design and method: A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was used to collect the data from a sample of 279 managers in South African organisations. The study employed structural equation modelling (SEM) to analyse the data and test hypotheses. Main findings: The study’s findings indicated that the proposed model fit well and showed positive connections between AL, EQ, CQ, and PWB. Additionally, the research revealed that AL played a mediating role in the relationships between EQ, CQ, and PWB. Practical/managerial implications: The findings showed that employing an AL style in the workplace can be strengthened by the development of EQ, CQ, and PWB practices and interventions. Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to the deeper understanding of the integrative connections between AL, EQ, CQ, and PWB for managers.