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Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ Form 5X)
The dominant full-range leadership measure — and a commercially licensed instrument distributed by Mind Garden.
OBLeadershipCommercial licensealso known as: MLQ-5X
At a glance
Construct measured
Transformational, transactional, and passive-avoidant leadership
Developed by
Bass & Avolio (1995)
Original publication
Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1995). MLQ Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (Form 5X). Mind Garden. [See also Avolio, B. J., & Bass, B. M. (2004). Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire: Manual and sampler set (3rd ed.). Mind Garden.]
Number of items
45 (36 leadership items across nine factors plus 9 outcome items)
Response format
5-point frequency scale (0 = Not at all to 4 = Frequently, if not always); rater (follower) and self (leader) forms
Outcomes: extra effort, effectiveness, satisfaction with the leader
Reliability (commonly reported)
Factor alphas are commonly reported in the .70s to low .90s, with transformational subscales at the higher end.
Validity evidence
An enormous validation literature: CFA support for the nine-factor model in large multi-sample studies (though more parsimonious structures also fit), and meta-analytic criterion links between transformational and contingent-reward leadership and performance, satisfaction and motivation. Subscale intercorrelations among transformational factors are high, so composite scores are common.
Populations & contexts
Military, business, education, healthcare and public-sector samples worldwide; the reference measure for full-range leadership theory.
Origin, translations & adaptations
United States. Licensed translations in many languages via the publisher.
Licensing & permission
Commercial license required (Mind Garden) The MLQ is copyrighted and sold by Mind Garden, Inc.; every administration, including for academic research, requires purchased licenses, and items may not be reproduced. For a free validated alternative to a transformational composite, consider the GTL (Carless et al., 2000).
How to cite (APA 7)
Avolio, B. J., & Bass, B. M. (2004). Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire: Manual and sampler set (3rd ed.). Mind Garden.
Short versions & notable variants
MLQ-6S — short classroom/self-scoring form (also under Mind Garden copyright)
Rater and self forms of the 5X are the research standard