Joining in With Leadership? A Survey of Leadership Behaviour and Identity of Non-Managerial Employees in Public Organizations

Although non-managerial employees are increasingly seen as valuable sources of leadership in public organizations, their leadership behavior is rarely studied. This study zooms in on the leadership behavior of non-managerial employees and assesses whether leadership identity and previous experience in formal leadership positions affect their engagement in leadership. According to identity theory, seeing oneself as a leader may be a crucial component in behaving as one. Survey data collected among public servants (n = 976) in The Netherlands show that non-managerial employees with a more central leadership identity use all types of leadership behavior from the repertoire more often, which can partially be explained by their experience. This demonstrates that leadership identity is a meaningful lens to explain why this group engages in leadership behavior. Leadership development can be stimulated by helping non-managerial employees identify with a leadership role.