Abstract

Previous research has shown that transformational leaders tend to be perceived as trustworthy and trust has been found to relate to many positive outcomes, such as performance, organizational citizenship behaviors, and job satisfaction. This study attempts to determine the role of developmental antecedents in explaining leadership style and trust in the leader. This study expands on Mayer, Davis and Schoorman's (1995) model of trust, in conjunction with the developmental theory of attachment, transformational leadership theory and leader-member exchange theory (LMX). The hypotheses were tested in three organizations (N = 121). Questionnaires were distributed in both English and French. Followers rated their immediate supervisor's leadership and attachment styles, as well as their trust in their leader. As expected, findings indicated that transformational leaders were securely attached, had high-quality LMX relationships, and were perceived as benevolent and trustworthy by their followers. As well, LMX fully mediated the relation between secure attachment and follower perceptions of leader benevolence. Implications for leader identification and development are discussed.