From flexible leaders to innovative followers: A multilevel study of leader cognitive flexibility, psychological empowerment, leader identification and innovative behavior

This study examines the role of leader cognitive flexibility in fostering followers' innovative work behavior (IWB). Drawing on social learning theory, we propose that cognitively flexible leaders create an environment that inspires followers to generate, promote, and implement innovative ideas. Additionally, we investigate the mediating role of psychological empowerment and the moderating role of leader identification in shaping this relationship. We conducted a three-wave, multilevel study involving 437 personnel nested within 74 teams in the Italian Air Force. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to test cross-level effects, while mediation and moderated mediation analyses were conducted using bootstrapped confidence intervals. Results indicate that leader cognitive flexibility positively influences followers' IWB, with empowerment fully mediating this relationship. Additionally, leader identification moderates the mediation effect, such that the positive influence of leader cognitive flexibility on empowerment, and subsequently on IWB, is stronger for followers who strongly identify with their leader. This study extends existing leadership research by shifting the focus from leader behaviors and styles to leader cognitive abilities, highlighting the critical role of cognitive flexibility in promoting innovation at the individual level. It also underscores the importance of psychological empowerment as a mechanism through which leader cognition influences innovation and identifies leader identification as a key boundary condition that strengthens this effect. These insights provide a novel contribution to leadership and innovation literature while offering practical implications for leadership development in military organizations.