Previous research on leader transition mainly focuses on how new leaders adapt to their new leadership roles and utilize different leadership styles to meet followers’ expectations. However, there has been limited exploration of the strategies used by leaders promoted from within peer groups, particularly from a career development standpoint. This research, informed by the socialization framework and role identity theory, suggests that newly promoted leaders may adopt different strategies for managing their role identities as they acclimatize to leadership roles. In Study 1, we introduce three distinct role identity management strategies and develop and validate measures for these strategies. Study 2 examines how these strategies affect transition outcomes (transition satisfaction and leader effectiveness) through mechanisms of leader adjustment (leader role clarity and leadership self-efficacy). Overall, this research highlights the experiences of leaders promoted from peer positions and explores how changes in role identity can influence their leadership transition, offering both theoretical and practical insights.
