A neo-configurational perspective on implicit motives and leadership effectiveness

Abstract This study aims to deepen the understanding of motivational drivers that shape leadership effectiveness by adopting a neo-configurational perspective. Drawing on McClelland’s theory of human motivation, we investigate how need for power (nPow), need for achievement (nAch), need for affiliation (nAff), and activity inhibition (AI) combine within leaders to enable two outcomes of leadership effectiveness: leadership satisfaction and career success. Using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis on data from 70 leader-follower dyads, we identify multiple alternative motive configurations that contribute to leadership effectiveness. Specifically, two configurations—termed the Bureaucratic (nPow, ~nAch, AI) and the Relaxed Leader (~ nPow, nAff, ~AI)—are sufficient for very high leadership satisfaction. For career success, we find three sufficient configurations, each highlighting the presence of either AI, nPow, or nAff which are complemented by the absence (~) of other motives or AI. These results demonstrate that leadership effectiveness is driven by multiple distinct configurations of motives, underscoring the causal complexity inherent in motivation-based leadership effectiveness. In doing so, this study contributes to motivation literature by reframing McClelland’s theory as a neo-configurational theory.