Management Studies in Development and Evolution

Designing a humble leadership pattern using grounded theory method

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Ammar Abed 1
Ali Nasre Esfahani 2
Hadi Teimouri 3

1 Ph.D. Student, Department of Management, Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Economy, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

2 Professor, Department of Management, Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Economy, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

3 Associate Professor., Department of Management, Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Economy, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22054/jmsd.2025.84013.4587
Abstract
the current research was carried out with the aim of designing a humble leadership pattern. this study is a developmental-applied, qualitative research and was conducted with the grounded theory method. The field of research consists of managers and experts of the High Institute of Security and Administrative Development of Iraq, among which 30 people were selected to participate by using the purposeful sampling method. The required data was collected through semi-structured interviews, and the rule of theoretical data saturation. The results show that two categories of factors (individual factors and organizational factors) play a role as the causal conditions of humble leadership style in the organization. The results also indicate that the humble leadership style appears in the form of four main components, i.e. intellectual (cognitive), motivational, emotional and behavioral in the organization. And contextual conditions (tendency to create a special atmosphere, level of maturity of employees and not giving value to flatterers) and intervening conditions (managers' self-esteem, low uncertainty and positive organizational culture) also lead to the emergence of this leadership style in the organization. The strategies (infrastructural and management) and consequences (individual and organizational) of this leadership style have also been identified.

Keywords

Leadership
Humble Leadership
Humility of Managers
Grounded Theory Method
Subjects
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Management Studies in Development and Evolution
Volume 34, Issue 118
Winter 2026
Pages 133-160

  • Receive Date 27 January 2025
  • Revise Date 10 September 2025
  • Accept Date 30 September 2025

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