Based on leadership identity construction theory, this research explored the congruence effects of implicit leadership theories and implicit self-theories on motivation to lead and indirectly on leader emergence. Study 1 conducted a multi-wave and multi-source field survey on 180 work teams and 733 employees, and employed polynomial regression analysis with response surface methodology to find that the higher congruence between individual’s implicit leadership theories and implicit self-theories, the higher individual motivation to lead. Also, the congruence between implicit leadership theories and implicit self-theories has a positive impact on leader emergence through the mediating role of motivation to lead. In Study 2, we employed a sample of 136 students recruited from a famous university in China to complete a laboratory experiment, which demonstrated the positive effect of motivation to lead on leader emergence. The conclusion reveals the process of individual leader emergence, providing new ideas for managers to improve employees’ leadership potential.