Leadership Style, Headache, and Neck Pain

Objective Leadership styles can influence subordinates' health. We investigated how the gene encoding the Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) enzyme (i.e. COMT rs4680 Val158Met) influenced effects of abusive supervision and transformational leadership on subordinates' headache and neck pain. Methods Multiple group structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test associations of leadership with subordinates' pain six months after in a representative sample of the Norwegian working population (n = 996). Genotyping was performed by TaqMan technology. Results Abusive supervision was associated with increased risk, and transformational leadership with decreased risk, of headache and neck pain. Both leadership styles exhibited more pronounced effects in individuals with the Met/Met genotype. Conclusion Met/Met employees were relatively vulnerable to adversity, but also relatively responsive to constructive leadership. Many workers may benefit more from constructive leadership than population-averaged associations might suggest.