Relational Energy in Teams: The Roles of Leader Humility, Team Network Density, and Team Performance

The present study was designed to extend our understanding of the concept of relational energy by providing new team-based and indirect effects perspectives on its emergence and impact. By integrating social learning theory and social network theory, we propose that leader humility can enhance team relational energy density by promoting energy generation and reducing energy depletion among team members. Moreover, we propose that leader in-group prototypicality strengthens the impact of leader humility on team relational energy network density. Finally, we predict that team relational energy network density will be positively related to team performance. Data from a multi-source, three-wave study using social network approach of 149 professional works teams (including 10,656 ratings from 149 leaders and their 967 employees) provide support for our proposed hypothesized model. The implications for the relational energy, social networks, and leadership literatures are discussed.