Leadership Styles and Behaviors Nurturing Employee Well-Being: An Empirical Analysis

Employee well-being is crucial to workplace experience and performance. While this topic has been studied from various theoretical perspectives, the role of leaders appears to be crucial in shaping the workplace atmosphere. To understand which leadership styles and behaviors promote well-being, we interviewed 33 leaders covering the role of entrepreneurs or top managers across various firms. We applied the Behavioral Event Interview technique to collect detailed information about specific situations related to workplace well-being interventions. Findings show the use of a variety of leadership styles in favor of well-being (supportive and aggregating are the most prevalent ones) and 13 categories of behaviors that may be associated with specific behavioral competencies. Our findings suggest the need for targeted training programs designed to prepare leaders to address employee well-being, ultimately supporting both professional and personal wellness.