Examining leadership style as a strategic moderator between personality traits and leader burnout

Purpose Existing research on burnout in organizations focuses on followers rather than leaders. The study uses the Conservation of Resources theory to investigate how leadership style, whether transformational, transactional or passive-avoidant, moderates the relationship between personality type and leader burnout. Design/methodology/approach The research employs a cross-sectional design and moderated regression analysis of 412 leaders, examining the influence of their leadership styles on burnout while investigating the complex moderating relationships between the varying Big Five personality traits. We control for leader-specific variables such as age, gender and the number of direct and indirect reports. Findings Significant opposing associations were observed for four of the Big Five personality traits, while neuroticism was nonsignificant, with unique moderating effects based on each leadership style. Surprisingly, boundary conditions exist where passive-avoidant leadership may reduce strain. Implications for future research around personality traits, leadership style and burnout are presented. Originality/value This study advances understanding of burnout as a strategic leadership outcome by framing it through the Conservation of Resources theory. It extends prior research beyond psychological correlates, illustrating how specific combinations of personality traits and leadership styles are associated with differences in leaders’ capacity to conserve or deplete critical resources, thereby positioning burnout as a strategic concern, rather than purely an individual one.