Objective Collective leadership is increasingly viewed as essential in complex, interprofessional work, yet its behavioral microfoundations remain underspecified. This study conceptualized and measured Collective Leadership Behaviors (CLB)—observable, enactable actions through which any team member, regardless of formal role, exerts positive influence that contributes to a team's direction, alignment, and commitment. Methods Study 1 elicited concrete leadership and followership behaviors from professionals in a large acute-care hospital using open-ended responses. Derived behavioral descriptions informed item generation, followed by exploratory and hierarchical factor analyses to identify the behavioral structure and to develop a concise self-assessment instrument, the Scale of Collective Leadership Behaviors (SCLB). Study 2 used an independent healthcare sample to test the factor structure via confirmatory factor analysis and to examine associations of CLB with established leadership and teamwork competencies, perceived psychological safety (by referent), and adaptive work outcomes. Results CLB were represented by four higher-order and seven lower-order factors, forming the empirical basis for the 35-item SCLB. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the proposed structure. Perceived psychological safety in relation to leaders and peers was positively associated with multiple CLB dimensions, whereas safety at the team-as-a-whole referent showed no significant associations. Several CLB dimensions were, in turn, associated with higher work fulfillment and greater workload manageability. Conclusion By specifying CLB as measurable behavioral microfoundations, this study links process-oriented theories of collective leadership with an actionable construct for assessment and development in healthcare teams. The findings further suggest a relational–behavioral loop in which relational safety at proximal interpersonal levels is intertwined with members' enactment of collective influence.
Fujimoto et al. (Wed,) studied this question.