Introduction: Leadership is crucial for frontline managers who lead direct support staff in organizations serving persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Leaders are uniquely positioned to translate organizational missions, values, and policies into practical, day-to-day operations that impact staff and service users. However, reviews that address research on this leadership are still limited.
Purpose: We conducted a systematic review of the leadership research on organizations serving persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The specific aims are to: (a) synthesize the theoretical models employed in leadership research within the intellectual disability services sector, (b) identify the essential competencies for frontline managers, (c) examine the types of services most frequently studied in the context, (d) analyze the impact of leadership on variables such as quality of life and performance, and (e) explore the obstacles identified in existing studies within this field.
Method: A systematic review using CADIMA software, guided by the 2020 Prisma statement, analyzed 32 articles from the Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and EBSCO databases.
Results: The findings revealed that Practice Leadership (PL) emerges as the most commonly applied theoretical model in the field, although other approaches such as transformational leadership are also utilized. PL showed significant associations with positive outcomes for service users (improved quality of life, fewer challenging behaviors, higher active support) and staff (lower stress, higher job satisfaction). The research also identified specific competencies frontline managers need across multiple domains. Despite its demonstrated benefits, numerous barriers impede the implementation of effective leadership, including funding constraints, high staff turnover, and increased administrative demands.
Conclusions: Although PL provides a valuable framework for understanding leadership in intellectual disability services, significant organizational obstacles hinder its implementation. Future research should focus on testing effective leadership interventions and extending studies to different contexts to address these barriers.