Transformational Leaders Know Themselves Better

Abstract

Self-rated leadership behavior (transformational, transactional, laissez-faire) was obtained for a representative, random sample of 155 Naval surface fleet officers in parallel to the leadership descriptions for the same dimensions provided by the officers' senior subordinates. In addition, fitness reports completed by the officers' superiors provided performance and promotion data which were indexed as appraisals of the officers' success. The self-ratings tended to be inflated, but the more successful officers were less likely to inflate their self-described leadership behavior. A possible explanation for this effect is that subordinates' descriptions of leadership were significantly related to superiors' ratings of performance and promotion, but self-ratings of leadership were not associated with these measures. Keywords: Transformational leaders; Transactional leaders; Self-ratings; Subordinates' ratings; USN officers and subordinates; Surface fleet; Fitness reports; Discrepancy scores; Superiors' evaluations.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1989
Accession Number
ADA208356

Entities

People

  • Bernard M. Bass
  • Francis J. Yammarino

Organizations

  • Binghamton University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Applied Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Educational Psychology
  • Engineering
  • Enlisted Personnel
  • Health Services
  • Information Science
  • Leadership
  • Management Personnel
  • Military Personnel
  • Military Research
  • Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Students
  • Surveys
  • Training
  • United States Naval Academy

Fields of Study

  • Education
  • Psychology

Readers

  • Military Leadership and Professional Education.
  • Psychometric Testing or Psychological Assessment.