Forner, Viven W.; Gagné, Marylène & Slemp, Gavin R.

Interpersonal leadership behaviours, the way leaders communicate and interact with their followers, can either promote or hinder motivation, wellness, performance and job satisfaction in organisations (Deci et al., 1989; Slemp et al., 2018). Over three decades of Self Determination Theory research has shed light the process through which interpersonal interactions between leaders and their followers come to influence motivation and wellbeing at work (Ryan & Deci, 2017). This research has further delineated a leadership style that triggers this process and promotes beneficial outcomes for both the employees and the organisation (Slemp et al., 2018). Interpersonal support for basic needs refers to a cluster of interpersonal behaviours that support basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness, and triggers motivation, wellness, and optimal functioning (Slemp et al., in press). But what do these leadership behaviours look like? And how can we better assess interpersonal support in a more concrete behavioural way? In this presentation, we examine leadership through the lens of motivation theory. Drawing on prior literature (e.g Forner et al., 2020) and our emerging research findings, we discuss and explore motivating and demotivating leadership behaviours. We present quantitative data collected from 7,703 surveyed participants, who provided feedback on concrete interpersonal behaviours of a leader who had the greatest impact on their experience at the organisation. The findings reveal explicit leadership behaviours that support and/or undermine that satisfaction of followers’ basic psychological needs for autonomy, relatedness and competence. This data is contributing towards the development of a tool for researchers, IO psychologists and organisations to be able to measure and monitor motivating leadership behaviours at work. There has been increasing criticism that some prevailing leadership theories and ideas remain popular in the face of copious evidence that they are flawed (Haslam, Alvesson & Reicher, 2024). Self Determination Theory offers leadership scholars and practitioners an evidence-based understanding of the influence of leadership on followers that is underpinned by decades of scientific research. The insights from this presentation would be valuable for practitioners and researchers working in organisational capability, leadership development, employee well-being and/or organisational assessment, as well as managers and those in roles that involve motivating or influencing others.

• Modify your own interpersonal behaviours to more effectively motivate and support others.
• Translate Self Determination Theory into concrete leadership behaviours that support followers’ basic psychological needs and trigger motivation, wellness, and optimal functioning.
• Distinguish and assess motivating leadership behaviours and demotivating leadership behaviours in organisations.
• Describe the process through which interpersonal interactions between leaders and followers impact work motivation, workplace well-being and performance in organisations.