Mason B. Sheppard, Todd M. Loughead, Krista J. Munroe-Chandler, Gordon A. Bloom

The majority of sport psychology research has conceptualized athlete leadership as a positive influence on team functioning and athlete well-being. Although athlete leadership literature has predominantly emphasized positive behaviours and outcomes, leadership influence is not inherently positive and may also be harmful or counterproductive. Consistent with this perspective, research in organizational psychology has demonstrated that destructive leader behaviours are associated with psychological distress, reduced satisfaction, and impaired group functioning. Accordingly, several overlapping constructs (e.g., abusive supervision, petty tyranny, bullying) have been used to describe harmful leadership behaviours. Yet, within the sport context, destructive behaviours enacted by athlete leaders have received comparatively less attention. As a result, there is substantial variability in how destructive leadership has been defined, operationalized, and distinguished from related negative constructs within sport teams. Although research in organizational settings suggests these constructs capture similar processes, their conceptual distinctions remain blurred, which may contribute to inconsistent terminology and measurement approaches in sport. Using a scoping review framework (Arksey & O’Malley, 2005), the purpose of this study is to understand how destructive leadership has been defined, operationalized, and examined in sport, with particular emphasis on conceptual overlap and boundary issues across negative leadership constructs. This study will provide a systematic map of definitions, constructs, and operationalizations of destructive leadership in sport, offering a foundation for future research and important conceptual context for applied practitioners seeking to develop effective leadership behaviours.