Opening the lines: Leader self-disclosure, followers’ charismatic attributions, and trust

Purpose. Drawing on a cognitive attribution approach to charismatic leadership, this study
identifies an overlooked influence behavior – supervisor self-disclosure of a traumatic loss as
contributing to subordinate charismatic attributions (e.g., idealized influence) and trust toward their supervisor.
Design/methodology/approach. Employing an experimental vignette method, participants (n
= 201) were assigned to one of two conditions: (1) supervisor self-disclosure of traumatic loss
or (2) control condition and then reported on charismatic attributions about the supervisor in
the scenario and trust toward the supervisor.
Findings. The results revealed that supervisors’ self-disclosure to subordinates influences
subordinate attributions of charisma toward their supervisors and affective-based, cognitive-based trust.
Research limitations/implications. While an experimental approach supports causal
inference, future research may consider the long-term effects of supervisors’ self-disclosure
on subordinates’ attributions and trust.
Practical implications. Self-disclosure may be used authentically but cautiously to build
relationships with subordinates and potentially benefit management development programs.
Originality/value. This study provides the first empirical insights into how a supervisor's
disclosure of a traumatic loss – an uncharted territory – affects subordinates' perceptions of
the supervisor's charisma and subsequent trust.
Keywords: Self-disclosure, charismatic leadership, affective-based trust, cognitive-based
trust, traumatic loss