Must It Be Lonely at the Top? Developing Leader Well-Being in Organizations

The Problem

Human resource development (HRD) scholars and practitioners have given considerable attention to the topic of employee well-being; however, scholarship on the well-being of leaders in organizations is fragmented and comparatively understudied.

The Solution

We conducted an integrative literature review of empirical research on factors that influence leader well-being to synthesize research across various disciplines and generate novel insights that could benefit HRD scholars and practitioners. The findings of this review revealed factors that influence leader well-being at five levels: intra-individual, individual, dyadic/group, organizational, and environmental. We mapped these factors onto a model with mediating mechanisms (i.e., constructive or destructive leader behaviors) and outcomes of leader well-being. Outcomes included short- and long-term psychological, physical, and social outcomes in the domains of work and life in general.

The Stakeholders

This article contains implications for leaders in organizations as well as HR and HRD professionals interested in cultivating leader well-being.