Abstract
According to regulatory focus theory, one facet of transformational leadership might inspire only followers who direct their attention to their aspirations, called a promotion focus . Furthermore, followers focus their attention on aspirations only when they experience a sense of security. In this study, 160 employees completed a survey evaluating the leadership style of their supervisors and their own regulatory focus, self-esteem, attachment style, belief in a just world, and work engagement. Visionary leadership was positively associated with engagement in followers, especially when these individuals adopted a promotion focus. This promotion focus was related to factors that confer a sense of security—such as attachment style and just world beliefs—which in turn were associated with the leadership style of their supervisors. Findings imply leaders should first foster a sense of security in followers, which evokes a promotion focus and augments the receptivity of employees to a rousing vision of the future.
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