ABSTRACT
Interest in how individuals develop into leaders and whether an individual identifies as a leader has long been central to leadership research. However, this research rarely extends beyond the question, “Do you identify as a leader?” Leader identity is much more complex than the dichotomous view of “leader” or “not a leader,” and it is shaped by experiences, behaviors, and feedback from others. Leader identity formation begins in childhood, and it continues to develop as individuals enter the workforce and gain experience with different informal and formal leadership positions. By examining how leaders adopt various behaviors from others, test provisional selves, and continue to refine their leader identities, advances can be made in understanding the complexities of how the individual identifies as a leader, how identity impacts leader behavior, and how changes in leader identity occur over time.
