Not the Time to be Humble! When and Why Leader Humility Enhances and Deteriorates Evaluations on Leader Effectiveness and Satisfaction with Leader

Liu, Shengming; Mao, Jih‐Yu; Li, Ning; Yue, Zhang

doi:10.1111/joms.13137

Cited by 10Job Satisfaction and Organizational BehaviorLeadership and Management in OrganizationsForgiveness and Related Behaviors

Not the Time to be Humble! When and Why Leader Humility Enhances and Deteriorates Evaluations on Leader Effectiveness and Satisfaction with Leader

Liu, Shengming, Mao, Jih‐Yu, Li, Ning, Yue, Zhang·2025·Journal of Management Studies

DOI 10.1111/joms.13137

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Abstract

Although leader humility is considered a desirable leader characteristic, an emerging research stream focuses on when leader humility may come at a cost. By integrating implicit leadership theories with the attentional focus model, we examine when followers perceive leader humility favourably and unfavourably due to valuing leader characteristics differently in different situations. We suggest that followers are more likely to value (disvalue) leader humility when there is less (more) time pressure. Specifically, followers are inclined to attribute leader humility as comprehensive (indecisive) when time pressure is low (high), resulting in high (low) evaluations on leader effectiveness and satisfaction with leader. The results of an experiment and a three‐wave survey support our predictions, which advances knowledge about the benefits and perils of leader humility and their underlying mechanisms.

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Authors: Liu, S., Mao, J., Li, N., & Yue, Z.
Affiliations: Fudan University (CN)
University of Nottingham Ningbo China (CN)
Tsinghua University (CN)
Corresponding author: Mao, Jih‐Yu
ORCID: Liu, Shengming
Mao, Jih‐Yu
Li, Ning
Venue: Journal of Management Studies
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2024-09-20
Volume: 62
Issue: 7
Pages: 2707-2733
ISSN: 0022-2380 (ISSN-L)
1467-6486
DOI: 10.1111/joms.13137
OpenAlex: W7090491285
Semantic Scholar: d903c086f98feb9001d48ed86c558cbb9ee07694
Cited by: 10
References: 77
Citations by year: 2026: 8 · 2025: 2
FWCI: 5.07
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations: Journal of Management Studies (publishedVersion)
Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China (72002038, 72372033, 72302122)
Topics: Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior
Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Leadership and Management in Organizations
Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Forgiveness and Related Behaviors
Keywords: leader humility, leadership effectiveness, time pressure, implicit leadership theory, leader characteristics, follower perceptions

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Not the Time to be Humble! When and Why Leader Humility Enhances and Deteriorates Evaluations on Leader Effectiveness and Satisfaction with Leader

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