Humility as enlightened leadership: a Chinese perspective

Abstract

Purpose Humility as an important factor for leaders was identified by Collins (2001) and his colleagues in an extensive research project about the leadership qualities of the leaders of companies that transitioned from “good” to “great.” This paper is an empirical study of six factors closely associated with humility and leadership and the purpose of this paper is to identify how Chinese business students and Chinese employees perceive the importance of six factors associated with humility as enlightened leadership. Design/methodology/approach This paper summarizes recent research about humility and leadership and suggests seven hypotheses about the importance of six factors associated with humility as enlightened leadership. Findings This study confirms that Chinese respondents affirmed the value of all six factors and identified the statistical significance of three of the factors studied. Research limitations/implications A limitation of this study is that it is exploratory in nature and contained many factors that made conducting factor analysis indeterminable. The practical implications of this study are that it provides confirming information about understanding the value system and priorities of Chinese employees and future workers when multi-national companies interact with Chinese partners. Originality/value This study provides valuable information about the six factors associated with humility as enlightened leadership. This study is the first of its kind that empirically tests Chinese attitudes associated with humility and leadership.

Impacts of Leader Humility Between Authority and Trustworthiness on Compliance: Tests of Three-Way Interaction

“…This study defines humility as a characteristic in an individual who possesses the endorsed yet relinquishes freely, with the ability to transcend acceptance of all existing facts and values. This characteristic resonates with the ideas of Xu et al. (2019), that a person with humility accurately and open-mindedly realizes the self in his/her abilities, limitations, and in confronting the challenges of life.…”

“…Drawing from the integrated viewpoints and thoughts from the East and the West, we offer the perspective that humility involves six connected but distinct dimensions: (1) self-awareness (Furey, 1986; Morris et al., 2005; Schein et al., 2001; Tangney, 2000; Xu et al., 2019), (2) openness (Collins, 2005; Morris et al., 2005; Richards, 1992), (3) transcendence (Dennett, 1995; Morris et al., 2005; Peterson & Seligman, 2004), (4) self-reflection and improvement (Collins, 2001; Furey, 1986; Schein et al., 2001), (5) respectfulness and focus on others (Exline & Geyer, 2004; Owens & Hekman, 2012; Rowatt et al., 2002; Tangney, 2002), and (6) gratitude (Ben-Ze'ev & Ben-Zeʼev, 2000; Collins, 2001; Garmston, 1999; Solomon, 1999; Tangney, 2002; Xu et al., 2019).…”

Student Perception of the Social Value of Responsible Management

“…There are also clear positions in which humility is perceived as not beneficial to leaders and is described as self-abasement or unworthiness [82]. In China, humility is seen as a beneficial quality marked by integrity and self-awareness, and is considered to be both useful and virtuous for leaders [83].…”

Does CEO Traits Influence Innovation? Evidence from the Kenya Banking Sector

“…CEO humility is the CEO's orientation towards obtaining accurate self-awareness, giving credit to others when it is due and being open to self-improvement (Ou et al, 2014). In addition, CEO humility is the readiness to acknowledge that self-pride is not a prerequisite for achievement (Xu, Xu, Anderson, & Caldwell, 2019) and as a disposition of self-accuracy, recognition of others' efforts and contributions, accepting one's own mistakes and ability to learn (Owens & Hekman, 2016).…”