The relationship between leadership and health: A comparison of general and health-focused leadership approaches

Keeping employees physically and psychologically healthy and thriving has increasingly become a challenge for organizations. Because poor health is associated with various negative consequences for the individual as well as at organizational level, researchers have started to investigate pathways for fostering, retaining, and restoring health and well-being in the work-place. Various studies underline the important role of leaders in creating work-place conditions that either positively or negatively influence employee health and well-being. In this chapter, we therefore differentiate between relationship-oriented and task-oriented leadership behaviors while providing an overview of the association between established leadership theories and indicators of employee health. Moreover, we focus on health-specific leadership styles, which are assumed to have a more direct effect on followers’ health than more general styles. We have assumed that health-focused leadership skills complement general leadership skills. Avenues for future research are discussed and practical conclusions provided.