When and how health‐oriented leadership relates to employee well‐being—The role of expectations, self‐care, and LMX

Despite the increasing interest in leaders’ health-promoting behavior, employees’ role effectiveness of such behavior and mechanisms underlying how leadership affects their well-being have largely been ignored. Drawing on implicit theories, we advance health-oriented literature by examining ideals, that is, expectations regarding leader as a moderating factor. We propose higher increase association between actual employee-rated leader-member relationships (LMX) behaviors employees, which, turn, positively relate to (here: exhaustion work engagement). tested our theoretical model three studies, using cross-sectional design (Study 1, N = 307), two-wave time-lagged 2, 144) an experimental 3, 173). found effect LMX is contingent ideal behavior. Yet, for self-care proposed moderation was only significant Study 1. High strengthened relationship with were associated less more engagement (only LMX), supporting most mediation hypotheses. Our results highlight pivotal health support help building practical interventions regard promotion.