We extend Implicit Leadership Theory, which addresses criteria that individuals use to identify leaders, by examining whether the predictors of leadership emergence change over time. Building on leader-distance research, we predict that time influences the traits on which individuals base their selection of others as leaders: Initially, before individuals have had many opportunities to interact, and distance between them is high, they select leaders according to easily-noticeable physical and psychological traits; however, with time, as distance decreases, they rely on more covert psychological traits. We carried out a three-day field study in an intensive workshop for individuals entering an executive-MBA program (n = 64). Data were gathered from participants at four points in time. We found that the criteria by which people nominate leaders change over time from easily-noticeable traits (facial attractiveness, gender, extraversion) to more covert personality traits (conscientiousness).

我们通过研究领导力出现的预测因素是否随时间变化，扩展了隐式领导力理论，该理论解决了个人用来识别领导者的标准。在领导者距离研究的基础上，我们预测时间会影响个人选择他人作为领导者的特征：最初，在个人有很多互动机会之前，并且他们之间的距离很高，他们会根据以下情况轻松地选择领导者：明显的生理和心理特征；然而，随着时间的流逝，随着距离的缩短，他们会依靠更多隐秘的心理特征。我们在密集的讲习班中为参加高管MBA课程的个人进行了为期三天的实地研究（n = 64）。在四个时间点从参与者那里收集数据。我们发现，人们提名领导者的标准随着时间的推移从容易注意到的特征（面部吸引力，性别，性格外向）改变为更隐蔽的人格特征（尽责）。