Are You Secure Enough to Follow? The Influence of Follower Attachment on Transformational Leadership Perceptions and Thriving at Work

Abstract Followers are increasingly acknowledged as influential in shaping leadership relationships and outcomes, yet the contribution of individual differences in followers’ relational characteristics to leadership processes is poorly understood. Drawing on attachment theory and the conservation of resources model, we examine the influence of followers’ attachment dimensions on their perceptions of transformational leadership (TFL) and thriving at work. In a three-wave longitudinal study of 587 employees in 112 project teams, multilevel mediation analysis showed that secure attachment was positively associated with thriving at work, while overdependent and counterdependent attachment were negatively associated. These relationships were fully mediated by followers’ perceptions of TFL. The findings suggest that follower attachment security fosters workplace thriving by enhancing perceptions of TFL. The value of incorporating follower attachment in future follower-centered leadership research and practice is discussed.