Major disruptions at work (and beyond), can spark uncertainty and anxiety. Adjusting to these disruptions is challenging, and some employees may even decide they are better off leaving their organization. New research (Mele-Cormier et al., 2025) demonstrates that humble leaders can play a critical role in easing these transitions, improving performance, and reducing turnover.
WHY HUMBLE LEADERSHIP MATTERS
The researchers conducted two large-scale studies with over 2,000 employees. Participants were employees who had worked remotely during the pandemic but were preparing to return to the office. Overall, the researchers found that humble leaders engaged in more affirming behavior, such as listening to and valuing employee experiences, which in turn decreased turnover 6 months later. Further still, this outcome held true almost 2 years later. Employees also performed better under humble leaders.
Contrary to predictions, humble leaders also engaged in more structured behavior, such as setting or enforcing clear rules for returning to the office. This was linked to higher turnover and lower performance. According to the researchers, this may be because humble leaders feel compelled to follow set organizational rules, or perhaps they believe providing more structure will ease employee transitions.
PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS
Disruptive events—from mergers to parental leave to injuries—are common and organizations should prioritize helping employees adjust. A promising avenue may be investing in leadership development programs to bolster humble leadership, which focuses on affirming and validating employee experiences. Further, since rigid structures were harmful for employees, organizations should consider giving their leaders leeway to make the best decisions for their teams, rather than enforcing blanket rules and policies.
Mele-Cormier, G., Cable, D. M., & Gorbatov, S. (2025). After shocks: Humble leadership improves employee adjustment following shock events. Journal of Applied Psychology. Advance online publication.
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