Implicit leadership theories are personal assumptions about the traits and abilities that characterize an ideal organizational leader. These assumptions, both stated and unstated, develop through socialization and past experiences with leaders. The assumptions are stored in memory and activated when group members interact with a person in a leadership position. Our assumptions about leaders help us make sense of what takes place on the job.

According to implicit leadership theory, as part of making assumptions and expectations of leader traits and behaviors, people develop leadership prototypes and antiprototypes. Prototypes are positive characterizations of a leader, whereas antiprototypes are traits and behaviors that people do not want to see in a leader. The antiprototype of masculinity suggests that followers prefer a compassionate and relationship-oriented leader to a command-and-control leader.

An implication of these data is that a leader who fits group members’ prototypes is more likely to influence them than a leader who fits their antiprototype. A potential problem with leadership prototypes is that superiors and subordinates might rate leaders favorably who fit these prototypes, even if the leader’s performance is not so strong.