On Black Male Leadership: A Study of Leadership Efficacy, Servant Leadership, and Engagement Mediated by Microaggressions

The Problem Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and other Black men (and women) successfully used servant leadership to advance U.S. civil rights. Yet, the value of these leadership practices among Black men in contemporary workplaces is not known. The decision to lead may be based upon one’s leadership self-efficacy and influenced by community and as Black men prioritize social justice and developing others, they may be servant leaders. While engaged, the role of microaggression on engagement has not been studied. Thus, research is needed on Black male leadership. The Solution This study examined whether Black men possess the antecedent of leadership efficacy, demonstrate servant leadership, experience the outcome of engagement, and microaggressions, whether microaggressions mediated and decreased their engagement, and did socio-identities function as a moderator. Using cross-sectional survey methodology, a confirmatory factor analysis and a causal model was conducted along with a post hoc ANOVA. Black men leaders were about a third of the sample (n = 364). The structural equation modeling revealed the significant findings that leadership efficacy predicted servant leadership, servant leadership predicted engagement, and, microaggressions partially mediated engagement. Socio-identities did moderate leadership efficacy, engagement, and microaggressions but not servant leadership and the overall measurement model. The Stakeholders This study benefits HRD and other scholars and practitioners who study leadership including those with intersecting identities—African American men.