How Does Leader Self‐Sacrifice Lead to Subordinate Self‐Sacrifice? A Conformity Perspective

Prior studies have typically viewed self‐sacrificing managers as “good leaders” who inspire their employees through such positive mechanisms as fostering identification with the leader and cultivating high‐quality leader–follower relationships that benefit both parties. Based on theories of conformity, we challenge the prevailing supportive view by arguing that leader self‐sacrifice (LSS) can increase subordinate self‐sacrifice through a pressure‐based mechanism. Specifically, using data from one experiment and two 3‐wave field studies, we found that LSS was positively related to subordinate self‐sacrificial pressure, which in turn prompted subordinate self‐sacrifice. Furthermore, we established that leader autonomy support mitigated these effects: When leaders provided greater autonomy support, their employees experienced lower levels of self‐sacrificial pressure induced by LSS. These findings reveal a previously overlooked, pressure‐driven mechanism through which LSS influences followers, and thus, even well‐intentioned leader behaviors can impose hidden psychological demands on subordinates.