Gritty leaders — The influence of grit on positive leadership considering perfectionism: An empirical analysis

Download This Article

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

In order to achieve their long-term goals, managers in the business world must respond effectively to various challenges. In this context, a positive correlation between perseverance and positive leadership can be observed. However, excessive emphasis and rigidity regarding set goals can hinder their achievement, potentially related to perfectionism. Our paper is the first empirical study focused on the media, information, and telecommunications sector to analyze the relationship between positive leadership and perseverance, with perfectionism considered as a moderating variable. In addition, the Triarchic Model of Grit Scale (TMGS) by Datu et al. (2017) is examined for the first time in Germany. Our results show that perseverance can increase positive leadership qualities, which a manager’s perfectionism can partially moderate. For Germany, it can also be noted that the TMGS is insufficient as an explanatory model, and that we propose a five-factor model of perseverance in our individualistic culture instead. We demonstrate the importance of targeted training opportunities for managers to improve their positive leadership qualities. Limitations of our study include, in particular, the limited sample size and a strong industrial bias in the area of media, information, and telecommunications.

Keywords: Positive Leadership, Grit, Perfectionism, Leadership, Triarchic Model of Grit Scale, TMGS

Authors’ individual contribution: Conceptualization — C.B.; Methodology — C.B. and T.A.H.; Investigation — C.B.; Resources — C.B.; Writing — Original Draft — C.B. and T.A.H.; Writing — Review & Editing — C.B. and T.A.H.; Supervision — T.A.H.

Declaration of conflicting interests: The Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

JEL Classification: D91, M50, M54

Received: 06.09.2025
Revised: 14.10.2025; 30.10.2025
Accepted: 06.11.2025
Published online: 07.11.2025

How to cite this paper: Buttkereit, C., & Herberger, T. A. (2025). Gritty leaders — The influence of grit on positive leadership considering perfectionism: An empirical analysis. Corporate Governance and Organizational Behavior Review, 9(2), 34–52. https://doi.org/10.22495/cgobrv9i2p3