Thought self‐leadership: The influence of self‐talk and mental imagery on performance

Abstract Self‐leadership theory can be described as the ‘process of influencing oneself ’as opposed to the influence of leaders over followers (Manz, 1983, 1986). We focus on and develop a model for a particular aspect of self‐leadership — thought self‐leadership — emphasizing two primary elements, self‐talk and mental imagery. The major thrust of this model is that employees can influence or lead themselves by utilizing specific cognitive strategies that focus on individual self‐dialogue and mental imagery. It is proposed that constructive thought management through the effective application of cognitive strategies can lead to enhanced individual and organizational performance.