Turning overqualification into a strength: insights into the positive side of leader overqualification

Purpose – Drawing on leader identity theory, we developed a moderated mediation model to explain how and under what conditions leaders who perceive themselves as overqualified are more likely to increase coaching behaviors and decrease undermining behaviors. Design/methodology/approach – To test the hypotheses, we conducted a two-wave survey study with 232 supervisor–subordinate dyads and analyzed the data using Mplus. Findings – The results show that leaders’ perceived overqualification is positively associated with leader identity, which, in turn, is related to reduced leader undermining and increased leader coaching. Furthermore, leader identity mediates the relationship between leaders’ perceived overqualification and these leadership behaviors. Additionally, followers’ identification with their leaders moderates the downstream effects of leaders’ perceived overqualification. Originality/value – This study provides valuable insights into the positive side of leaders’ perceived overqualification by examining its role in fostering positive leadership behaviors and mitigating negative ones. In doing so, it broadens the scope of research on perceived overqualification.