Leading Through Trust: A Systematic Review of How Followers’ Trust Shape Leadership Behaviors and Styles

Abstract

Trust is an important attribute that determines whether followers are satisfied from their leaders. It is a belief or set of expectations that acts out as a glue binding leaders and followers together. However, previous literature on the leader-follower trust relationship has primarily focused on followers’ side particularly the Influence of leaders’ trust on followers, leaving a significant gap regarding the influence of follower’s trust on leaders. This systematic review aims to explore the existing literature on influence of followers’ trust on leadership behaviors and styles and proposes a framework for future research. The review includes 120 research articles published between 2014 till 2025 retrieved from various databases. Of these, 47 articles met the inclusion criteria of focusing on leader-follower trust relationship. The selected studies comprise both quantitative and qualitative research studies. Prior research can be categorized into three streams. The first examines followers’ improved performance resulting from trust in their leaders. The second focuses on leaders who trust their followers and consequently provide greater benefits and important assignments to trusted employees. The third highlights followers’ perspective and performance outcomes associated with receiving trust from leaders. An emerging stream, however, focuses on leadership outcomes resulting from followers’ trust and requires further scholarly attention. The findings strongly support the need for additional research on leaders’ perspectives as an outcome of followers’ trust. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory, Moral Licensing Theory, and Affective Events Theory, the review suggests that followers’ trust can significantly influence leadership styles and behaviors. Feelings of obligation, moral credits, and hubristic pride may lead leaders to display benevolent, laissez- faire, or autocratic leadership styles.