Copyright © The British Psychological Society Reproduction in any form (including the internet) is prohibited without prior permission from the Society Refining individualized consideration: Distinguishing developmental leadership and supportive leadership Alannah E. Rafferty* and Mark A. Griffin School of Management, Queensland University of Technology, Australia This study explores the theoretical and empirical distinction between developmental leadership and supportive leadership, which are currently encompassed in a single sub dimension of transformational leadership, individualized consideration. Items were selected to assess these constructs, and hypotheses regarding the differential effects of developmental and supportive leadership were proposed. Confirmatory factor analyses provided support for the proposed distinction between developmental and supportive leadership, although these leadership factors were very strongly associated. Structural equation modelling and multi-level modelling results indicated that both developmental leadership and supportive leadership displayed unique relationships with theoretically selected outcome measures. Developmental leadership displayed significantly stronger relationships with job satisfaction, career certainty, affective commitment to the organization and role breadth self-efficacy than did supportive leadership. Results provide initial evidence in support of the discriminant validity of these two types of leadership. Discussion focuses on the need to further examine the construct of developmental leadership. The changing nature of employment conditions and psychological contracts means that, increasingly, employees are being asked to continually develop their skills and manage their own careers (e.g. Cappelli, 1999; Iles, 1997; Waterman, Waterman, & Collard, 2000). In this environment, organizations must give employees opportunities to develop their employability in exchange for enhanced productivity and commitment as long as an employee works in the firm (Waterman et al., 2000). As a result, organizational leaders are being confronted with demands to equip employees with the skills to succeed in this new environment. One sub dimension of the Bass (1985) model of transformational leadership, individualized consideration, has been defined as encompassing a developmental orientation towards followers and may be an important way that leaders can help followers succeed in today’s business environment. Unfortunately, there has been relatively little theoretical or empirical interest in * Correspondence should be addressed to Dr Alannah Rafferty, School of Management, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George St, Brisbane 4001, Australia (e-mail: a.rafferty@qut.edu.au). The British Psychological Society 37 Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology (2006), 79, 37–61 q 2006 The British Psychological Society www.bpsjournals.co.uk DOI:10.1348/096317905X36731