Rafael Wilms is an Assistant Professor of Leadership in the Department of Management & Organization at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He earned his PhD from the University of Siegen in 2020. With an interdisciplinary background spanning psychology, management, and econometrics, his research focuses on leadership with clear practical and causal implications.
Rafael’s research focuses on three areas: (1) charismatic leadership, (2) sex differences and gender bias in leadership, and (3) methodological and statistical rigor in leadership research.
His work on charisma examines how leaders influence others through signals and cues—such as rhetoric, voice, and appearance—when these signals translate into leader emergence and effectiveness, and the conditions that shape the impact of charisma.
A second line of research investigates sex differences and gender bias in leadership. He examines the tension between actual behavioral sex differences and perceived gender differences, critically evaluates the methodological foundations of this literature, and studies how bias in leader evaluation and selection can be reduced.
A third line of research focuses on improving the methodological and statistical rigor of leadership research, with particular attention to causal inference, measurement, and the identification of bias in empirical findings.
His work has been published in leading journals including The Leadership Quarterly, Journal of Business and Psychology, and European Management Journal. Rafael is also currently Social Media Editor and Editorial Board Member of The Leadership Quarterly.
He teaches across bachelor, master, executive, and post-graduate levels, covering leadership, organizational management, and research methods. He coordinates the quantitative track of the (Executive) PhD programme in Management and Business Studies at the School of Business and Economics. He also works at the interface of academia and practice through executive education and applied workshops.
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