Strengths- Versus Deficits-Based Leadership

Abstract: Strengths-based leaders help employees amplify their strengths, whereas deficits-based leaders support employees in remediating their deficiencies. Despite their different foci, we argue that both types of leadership facilitate employees to perform well. We hypothesize that strengths-based and deficits-based leadership are crucial resources that are positively related to employee task performance and innovative behavior. Additionally, we hypothesize that employee strengths use positively mediates the relationship between strengths-based leadership and its outcomes, while negatively mediating the relationship between deficits-based leadership and its outcomes. We tested our mediation model among 599 Chinese workers using a three-wave study. Results showed that strengths-based (but not deficits-based) leadership was uniquely related to employee innovative behavior and task performance through employee strengths use. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications.