Toward a unified "Theory Y" of leadership: Leader self-awareness, ethics and integrity as key attributes of positive leadership

Over the last 15 years a profusion of "positive" leadership theories emerged. In part inspired by positive psychology, they also remind ofMcGregor (1960, 1966) "Theory Y" of management positing that leaders may attain economic performance while developing their subordinates toward self-development. Those constructs were empirically associated with favorable individual and collective outcomes. Yet the theories were developed in parallel, resulting in a lack of theoretical integration. Taking stock of research in the six major positive theories – servant, authentic, ethical, empowering, spiritual, and responsible leadership, this paper proposes an integrative framework of "Theory Y" leadership based on the overarching concept of leaders attributes that is, the representations that followers form of the qualities or virtues of their leaders. It argues that the attributes of leader self-awareness, ethical sense and integrity may synthesize the positive leadership theories. This integrative conceptualization of "Theory Y" leadership helps structure the theoretical field within the leadership studies and position leadership in the literature streams of positive organizational scholarship and positive organizationalbehavior. Theoretical propositions and avenues for research are offered, as well as implications for practice.