Are Gritty Leaders Happier or Unhappier? It Depends on How Prudent They are

Grit in leaders (and, in general, all employees) typically results in greater success and well-being but also has potential downsides. We propose that gritty leaders also need to be prudent or they may spend excessive time and resources at work, leading to greater work-to-family conflict and, as a r...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Group & organization management Vol. 50; no. 1; pp. 205 - 242
Main Authors: Rego, Arménio, Bluhm, Dustin J., Valverde, Camilo, Cunha, Miguel Pina e
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: 01.02.2025
ISSN:1059-6011, 1552-3993
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Grit in leaders (and, in general, all employees) typically results in greater success and well-being but also has potential downsides. We propose that gritty leaders also need to be prudent or they may spend excessive time and resources at work, leading to greater work-to-family conflict and, as a result, lower well-being. Findings of two studies support this reasoning. Grittier and imprudent leaders experience greater work-to-family conflict and lower affective well-being, whereas grittier and prudent leaders experience lower work-to-family conflict and greater affective well-being. We therefore conclude that the agentic resource of grit in leaders may be either positively or negatively related to their affective well-being depending on their prudence. Considering that work-to-family conflict and affective well-being are important for the leader’s health and performance, which in turn may influence team/organizational performance, our study contributes to a better understanding of the routes leading to better leadership and team/organizational functioning.
ISSN:1059-6011
1552-3993
DOI:10.1177/10596011221147439