Leader provided purpose: Military leadership behavior and its association with suicidal ideation.

•This study assessed the relationship between military leadership behavior and SI.•Leader provided purpose (LPP) was associated with decreased past-year SI.•This finding operated through thwarted-belongingness and perceived-burdensomeness.•LPP may also reduce risk for both SI and TB through increases in unit cohesion.•Continued research may inform novel public health approaches to mitigate suicide.