How a Leader’s Health Affects Their Team’s Success (and Their Own)

What is it about?

This study looks at how a leader’s own well-being affects their leadership style and their team’s performance. Using data from 276 leaders over three time points, we found that leaders who feel healthy and engaged at work are more likely to lead in an inspiring, supportive way—known as transformational leadership. This type of leadership, in turn, boosts team performance. However, leading in this way also demands energy and emotional effort, which can actually reduce the leader’s own well-being over time.

Featured Image

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Most leadership studies focus on how leaders affect others, but this one flips the lens to explore how leading impacts the leader. It shows that well-being isn’t just a perk—it’s a resource that enables good leadership. Yet, the act of leading can drain that very resource. These findings are crucial for organizations aiming to sustain effective leadership and prevent burnout among those in charge.

Perspectives

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We often expect leaders to be resilient role models, but this research shows that their own well-being is both a foundation and a cost of good leadership. For me, the key takeaway is that we must stop treating leadership and well-being as separate issues—supporting leaders' health is essential for long-term success at every level of an organization.

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