Introduction
Leadership emergence is a critical outcome in leadership development, yet little is known about how early family experiences shape individuals' tendencies to emerge as leaders. The Lifespan Leadership Development Model emphasizes the role of parental influences and motivational orientations in this process. Drawing on Regulatory Focus and Regulatory Fit theories, the present study investigated whether individuals' perceptions of parental attitudes predict leader emergence through regulatory focus, depending on task type.
Purpose
This study examined the situational mediating role of regulatory focus (promotion vs. prevention) in the relationship between perceived parenting styles and leader emergence within approach- versus avoidance-oriented tasks.
Method
A total of 354 university students (78% female; 22% male) participated in a laboratory experiment. Participants completed measures of perceived parental attitudes (emotional warmth, overprotectiveness, rejection) and regulatory focus, and were randomly assigned to either an approach-oriented (promotion) or avoidance-oriented (prevention) group task. Leader emergence was assessed through peer evaluations using the General Leadership Impression Scale. Structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis were employed to test the hypothesized model.
Results
The moderating role of task type in the relationship between perceived parenting styles and leader emergence via regulatory focus was not statistically significant. However, a marginally significant negative effect of perceived paternal rejection on leader emergence was observed specifically in the prevention-focused task condition.
Conclusions
These findings suggest that while regulatory focus did not mediate the effects of parental attitudes on leader emergence across task types, paternal rejection may hinder leader emergence in avoidance-oriented contexts. The results contribute to understanding the developmental roots of leadership emergence and provide partial support for the Lifespan Leadership Development Model. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.