Leadership in Extreme Contexts: Transformational Leadership, Performance Beyond Expectations?

This study sought to investigate whether leaders tend to adapt their leadership style, within the full range of leadership model, between normal and extreme event firefighting contexts; as well as assess the extent these leadership styles are related to followers' performance across both contexts. The correlational research design was coupled with a cross-sectional retrospective survey using hierarchical regression analysis. Results indicated that transactional contingent reward leadership style was the dominant predictor of followers' performance in extreme events. Results showed that in normal contexts, transformational leadership style was the dominant predictor of followers' performance. Leader behaviors tended to change (adapt) between normal contexts and extreme events, as the same leaders were less transformational in their behaviors in extreme events as compared with normal contexts. Theoretical and practical implications for adaptive leadership responses are discussed along with recommendations for future research.