本研究透過恐懼管理理論（Terror Management Theory）的基本概念，探討面對死亡威脅時，不同性別領導者在「成功恐懼」上是否有所差異，以及此「成功恐懼」是否中介領導者性別與其「領導自我效能」之關係。本研究採實驗法，受試對象為83位現階領導職的軍士官幹部，男女各半。操弄個體之死亡顯著性，並測量其成功恐懼和領導自我效能。研究結果發現：（一）死亡顯著性和性別對成功恐懼有交互作用。在死亡顯著性的情境下，女性領導者的成功恐懼較控制組高，而男性的成功恐懼則不受死亡顯著性之影響。（二）「成功恐懼」並未中介領導者性別與其「領導自我效能」之關係。

On the basis of terror management theory, an experimental study was conducted to explore (a)the moderating effect of mortality salience on the relationship between leaders’ gender and their fear of success , as well as (b) the mediating effect of fear of success on the relationship between leaders’ gender and their leadership self-efficacy. 44 male and 39 female leaders were randomly assigned to either condition of mortality salience or control group. The scales of fear of success and leadership self-efficacy were also administrated. The results suggest that (a) there is a significant interaction effect of gender and mortality salience on fear of success . Under the mortality salient condition, female leaders exhibited higher fear of success than control ones, but no significant difference was found between male leaders of mortality salience group and the control one. (b) Fear of success didn’t mediate the relationship between gender and leadership self-efficacy.