How do childhood experiences shape adult leadership traits?

This dissertation explores how childhood experiences shape adult leadership identity through a cross-cultural qualitative analysis of 20 leaders from around the world. Using an inductive design and the Gioia methodology, it identifies four core dimensions: 1.) biological foundations, primary caregiving, and attachment, 2.) contextual influences, accessibility, and reinforcement, 3.) life-altering events, and 4.) cultural socialization. Findings show that leadership traits emerge through cumulative, context-dependent processes across the lifespan, challenging Western, ‘one-size-fits-all’ leadership models and informing more psychologically grounded approaches to leadership development.