Leadership scholars increasingly acknowledge the shortcomings of using questionnaires. Consequently, there is a trend towards more behavior-based research, with interaction coding as one promising method. By precisely analyzing recordings of leader–follower interactions, interaction coding helps quantify verbal and non-verbal behavioral patterns that unfold between leaders and their followers, thereby providing access to the behavioral dynamics that are at the core of leadership. Yet, analyzing leader–follower interactions is much less straightforward than it might appear. Bold claims like “objective data” and “actual behavior” frequently used in such studies tend to paint a somewhat tainted picture of the opportunities and challenges associated with interaction coding. To synthesize the existing empirical knowledge concerning the use of interaction coding in leadership research, we present the findings from a critical review of the current research landscape. This review highlights that questions related to observer inference, standards for observer agreement, and the validity of interaction coding are often not sufficiently addressed in empirical work. Drawing on these findings, we identify questionable research practices and juxtapose these with best-practice recommendations. Finally, we provide a discussion and outlook on how behavior-based methods can move the leadership field forward by facilitating theoretical advancements and deriving actionable guidance for practitioners.

领导力学者越来越认识到使用问卷的缺点。因此，出现了更多基于行为的研究的趋势，其中交互编码是一种有前途的方法。通过精确分析领导者与追随者互动的记录，交互编码有助于量化领导者与其追随者之间展开的言语和非言语行为模式，从而提供对领导核心行为动态的了解。然而，分析领导者与追随者的互动并不像看上去那么简单。此类研究中经常使用的“客观数据”和“实际行为”等大胆主张往往会描绘出与交互编码相关的机遇和挑战的一幅有点污点的图景。为了综合关于在领导力研究中使用交互编码的现有经验知识，我们提出了对当前研究领域的批判性回顾的结果。这篇综述强调，与观察者推断、观察者一致性标准以及交互编码有效性相关的问题在实证工作中往往没有得到充分解决。根据这些发现，我们确定了有问题的研究实践，并将其与最佳实践建议并列。最后，我们对基于行为的方法如何通过促进理论进步和为从业者提供可行的指导来推动领导力领域向前发展进行了讨论和展望。