Subjective well-being tends to be higher in leaders vs. non-leaders. However, do these differences come from selection effects (e.g., because higher subjective well-being predisposes for occupational success) or from within-person well-being changes before and after becoming a leader? This question remains largely unresolved. Previous research suggests that becoming a leader might be a double-edged sword and affect subjective well-being positively but also negatively (e.g., due to more power but also more stress). Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (N = 25,674), we examined (a) well-being differences between employees who did vs. did not start a leadership position and (b) well-being changes before and after becoming a leader. Compared to non-leaders, leaders were more satisfied with their lives, happier, and less sad in the years before and after starting a leadership position. Leaders became slightly more satisfied with their lives in the five years before and five years after becoming a leader. Happiness, sadness, and anxiety did not change, but anger increased after starting a leadership position. These findings support the idea that differences in subjective well-being between leaders and non-leaders largely stem from selection effects, while starting a leadership position might even lower specific well-being facets.

领导者的主观幸福感往往高于非领导者。然而，这些差异是来自选择效应（例如，因为较高的主观幸福感预示着职业成功）还是来自成为领导前后个人幸福感的变化？这个问题在很大程度上仍未得到解决。先前的研究表明，成为领导者可能是一把双刃剑，会对主观幸福感产生积极影响，但也会产生消极影响（例如，由于更多的权力和更多的压力）。使用来自德国社会经济面板研究的数据 ( N = 25,674)，我们检查了 (a) 担任领导职务与未担任领导职务的员工之间的幸福感差异，以及 (b) 成为领导者前后的幸福感变化。与非领导者相比，领导者在担任领导职务前后的几年里对自己的生活更满意、更快乐、更少悲伤。领导者在成为领导者前五年和成为领导者后五年对他们的生活的满意度略有提高。快乐、悲伤和焦虑没有改变，但愤怒在担任领导职位后增加了。这些发现支持这样一种观点，即领导者和非领导者之间主观幸福感的差异主要源于选择效应，而开始领导职位甚至可能会降低特定的幸福感方面。