While past research has evidenced the benefits of self-leadership on individual work outcomes, little has been understood about how to effectively facilitate employees’ self-leadership through management practices. To address this practical issue, our study investigates how idiosyncratic deals (i-deals) promote employees’ self-leadership. I-deals, customized employment arrangements that organizations grant employees, offer an opportunity that requires and encourages employees to lead themselves. Using the insights from the motivational process theory, we examine the mediating role of three motivational goals: achievement striving, status striving, and communion striving. Results from three-wave data of 439 employees in China reveal that receiving idiosyncratic deals enhances employees’ self-leadership by increasing their achievement striving and status striving. However, communion striving does not mediate the relationship between i-deals and employee self-leadership. To boost employees’ self-leadership, organizations should grant employees i-deals and leaders should help employees set and pursue their own goals.
