Extending Erikson’s generativity to leadership: a psychobiographical study

Purpose Erikson’s concept of generativity has shaped developmental psychology for over seven decades, yet its application within management and leadership scholarship remains narrow, Western-centric and largely interpersonal in focus. This paper aims to trace that theoretical gap and argues that generativity, properly reframed, constitutes a foundational and undertheorized dimension of leadership. Design/methodology/approach A psychobiographical research design is used, applying Erikson’s psychosocial theory to the life and leadership of Sabu M. Jacob, founder of Kitex Garments and the Twenty20 Kizhakkambalam civic initiative in Kerala, India. Drawing exclusively on triangulated secondary sources, the analysis traces three successive developmental resolutions (industry, identity and generativity) across Jacob’s lifespan. Findings Generativity, in this context, is not a private virtue but an institutionally expressed, culturally embedded leadership orientation. Jacob’s developmental trajectory demonstrates how early resolutions of competence and identity accumulate into a form of leadership that bridges entrepreneurial success, employee welfare and civic transformation. Three theoretical propositions are advanced linking generativity to authentic, servant and transformational leadership traditions. Research limitations/implications As a single-case psychobiography relying on secondary data, findings are analytically transferable rather than statistically generalisable. Future research should pursue comparative psychobiographies across cultures and institutional contexts to test and extend the propositions advanced here. Originality/value This paper makes three contributions to the history of management thought. It offers a culturally grounded reinterpretation of Erikson’s generativity beyond its Western, interpersonal origins. It repositions generativity as an organizational and civic leadership construct rather than a purely psychological disposition and it advances psychobiography as a historically rigorous methodological corrective to leadership research’s over-reliance on cross-sectional, behaviourist designs.