Leadership Self‐Efficacy as an Engine to Thriving Leadership

ABSTRACT

Thriving has emerged as an important construct in organizational leadership and positive psychological performance scholarship, yet its application to leadership learning and development remains underexplored. Drawing on foundational research defining thriving as the joint experience of vitality and learning and work connecting thriving to leadership learning, this conceptual article explores the connection between leadership self‐efficacy and thriving. Leadership self‐efficacy, defined as the belief in one's ability to engage effectively in the leadership process, is positioned as a developmental capacity that powers leadership learning and leadership discernment. Implications for learners with low self‐efficacy are discussed while also highlighting how grounded, positive leadership self‐efficacy can power the development of thriving leaders.