Exploring Behavioural Complexity as the Link Between Leader Attributes and Leader Effectiveness

Abstract

Leader flexibility is considered necessary for leader effectiveness. However, there is limited research on antecedents of leader flexibility and its effect on leader effectiveness. This study, based on the leaderplex model, examines how multiple leader attributes influence leader effectiveness and subordinates’ work behaviour and attitudes through leader behavioural complexity, an indicator of leader flexibility and ability to manage complexity. A total of 134 senior-level executives and their subordinates from 12 manufacturing organizations participated. Executives and their subordinates filled separate questionnaires. The executives provided data for their sociodemographics along with their cognitive complexity, cognitive flexibility, emotional intelligence, personality traits and subordinates’ job performance. The subordinates provided data for their sociodemographics, commitment and work engagement, and leaders’ behavioural complexity, overall effectiveness and performance. Results show leaders’ cognitive flexibility, cognitive complexity, extraversion, emotional stability and agreeableness via behavioural complexity positively relate to leader effectiveness and subordinates’ job performance. Except for the competitive mediation of extraversion, all other mediations were indirect. The indirect effects of cognitive flexibility and emotional stability on leader effectiveness and subordinates’ job performance via behavioural complexity were medium. The other effects were low. Thus, this research contributes to the understanding of the association of different cognitive, social and personality attributes with leader effectiveness and subordinates’ job behaviour and the role of behavioural complexity as a mediating mechanism in these relationships.