Mini-Conference on Leadership Antecedents and Development
15th-17th of April, 2026
NEOMA Business School Reims
Co-sponsored by the Centre for Leadership and Followership, Durham University Business School, UK
NEOMA Business School, Reims campus, in co-sponsorship with the Centre for leadership and followership at Durham University Business School, UK, will be hosting an "in-person only" three-day Mini-Conference on Leadership Antecedents and Development.
Information about the topic
The question of why one emerges as a leader and how leaders can be developed has been at the centre of leadership research since its very beginning (e.g., Galton, 1891). This topic is currently even more relevant given that many recruiters struggle with hiring leadership talent (Staff Shortages Impacting Productivity - Quarterly Recruitment Outlook - British Chambers of Commerce, 2022) and majority of the employees, especially younger ones (Wong, 2023), declare that they do not want to become managers (Torres, 2014). To address these senior staff shortages, human resources professionals often invest in leadership development programs. However, the majority of leadership trainings do not render expected results and lack a strong evidence-based foundation (Leroy et al., 2023). Recent work highlights the importance of taking a consumer-centric perspective in leadership development, suggesting that training efforts are more effective when they are aligned with participants' motivations and organizational context (Seeg et al., 2022). This underscores the need to better understand the antecedents of leadership emergence – such as personality, values, and identity development – in order to design training programs that are both relevant and impactful. Thus, more work is needed to uncover the antecedents of leadership and effective leadership development strategies.
The conference topic is relevant both for leadership scholars and practitioners because it directly relates to the ongoing debate on the role of leaders in modern organizations. In particular, with the ongoing changes in the workforce, such as increased diversity, broader use of artificial intelligence, and new ways of work, some researchers have argued that leaders need to be more responsive and flexible towards the followers' needs. They are increasingly seen as responsible not only for team performance, but also for followers' mental health (Montano et al., 2023), inclusive interactions with other team members (Randel et al., 2018), and employee recovery from work (Volmer et al., 2023). Although certainly warranted, such holistic and romanticized view of leadership (Meindl, 1995) may ultimately contribute to the perception that leadership roles are becoming too complex and too overwhelming.
Mini-Conference Format
We invite scholars interested in the topic to submit their abstracts via the link provided below. Please note that the event is in person only.
In addition to the oral presentations, there will be 2 keynote speakers and 2 invited guests, presenting their work and helping with the development of the selected papers. The mini-conference will be kicked off with a methodological workshop. Additionally, in collaboration with a practitioner, Theresa Fehn, the event will feature a practice-oriented output –a podcast (BlackBox/Open), aimed at translating academic insights into real-world applications.
Keynote speakers
· Margarita Mayo – Professor of Leadership and Organisational Behaviour at the Instituto Empresa (IE) University in Madrid. Her research focuses on authentic and transformational leadership, diversity, identity, and work-family conflict.
· Peter Harms - Professor at the University of Alabama's Culverhouse College of Business and Affiliated Professor at HEC Montreal. His research focuses on the assessment and development of leadership, personality, and psychological well-being. He serves as editor of both Psychology of Leaders and Leadership and Research in Occupational Stress and Well-Being, as well as associate editor at Journal of Business and Psychology.
Invited guests
· Alexandra Cook – Professor in Organizational Psychology at the University of Amsterdam. Her research focuses on health diversity in the workplace, particularly how chronic health conditions and invisible disabilities affect work and leadership. She is an editorial board member of Small Group Research.
· Susanne Braun – Professor at Durham University Business School and Associate Dean for Postgraduate Research Students. Her research addresses both the bright and dark sides of leadership, including leader identity development, leader narcissism, and their impact on employee well‑being and performance. She is Associate Editor (Organizational Psychology) of Frontiers in Psychology and Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Organizational Behavior and the European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology.
Method workshop
· There will be a method workshop to kick off the mini-conference. While the speaker is yet to be confirmed, potential topics include open science practices and replication studies, given their growing relevance in leadership research.
Call for papers
We are inviting papers based on empirical and theoretical studies on leadership and followership (broadly defined) that are related to the mini-conference theme "Leadership Antecedents and Development" including such topics as motivation to lead and leader identity, personality and group dynamics as antecedents of leadership, leadership development, methodological challenges in studying leadership emergence and development. We also welcome contributions related to emerging trends – such as hybrid work, digital collaboration, and shifting employee expectations – and how they reshape the demands placed on leaders and influence how leadership potential is identified, developed, and enacted. The choice of papers for the presentations will be based on submitted extended abstracts in a structure including the following sections a) Purpose, b) Design/methodology/approach, c) Findings, d) Originality/Contributions. Presentations will be selected based on the quality of the submission by a committee (members of the organization team, the keynote speakers, and the invited guests). Applicants will be prioritized for seats if their submissions were not selected for presentations.
Submissions
The event will take place on 15-17 April 2025, in Reims, France.
Interested participants must submit an abstract by January 20st, 2026 via the following link: https://neoma.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9XlNv8Hj36rLIxw
The abstract should be of no more than 1,000 words (including references). Authors will be notified of acceptance or otherwise by February 16th 2026.
Additionally, the participants can submit a working paper version of their abstract (voluntary) by March 22nd, 2026.
Please note that the regular participation fee is 150 euros and 100 euros for students. Paper presenters and participants will need to cover their travel and accommodation. For any questions about the event, please contact the organizers Prof. Urszula Lagowska (urszula.lagowska@neoma-bs.fr), Professor Birgit Schyns (birgit.schyns@neoma-bs.fr), or Dr. Iris Gauglitz (iris.gauglitz@uni-bamberg.de).
Program:
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15th April
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16th April
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17th April
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9.00 to 10.15 Keynote
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9.00 to 10.15 Keynote
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10.15 to 10.30 Coffee break
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10.15 to 10.30 Coffee break
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10.30 to 12.30 Sessions
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10.30 to 12.30 Sessions
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12.30 to 14.00 Lunch
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12.30 to 14.00 Lunch
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14.00-16.15
Welcome and
Method workshop
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14.00 to 16.00 Sessions
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14.00 to 16.00 Sessions and closing
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16.00 to 16.15 Coffee break
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17.00 Champagne house visit
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16.15 to 17.15 Challenge and advice
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19.00 Welcome dinner
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Birgit Schyns
Full Professor
NEOMA Business School
Reims
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