Why humility is vital to effective humanitarian aid leadership

A review of the literature

Bibliographic Data

ID14716906
AuthorsDavid C Wang (0000-0002-6777-7602, Associate Professor of Psychology at the Rosemead School of Psychology Biola University United States, corresponding author), M E L Hall (0000-0002-6342-4340, Professor of Psychology at the Rosemead School of Psychology Biola University United States), Laura Shannonhouse (0000-0001-6822-8763, Georgia College & State University), Laura R Shannonhouse (Associate Professor at the College of Education and Human Development Georgia State University United States), Mary Chase Mize (0000-0001-8755-3772, PhD Candidate at the College of Education and Human Development Georgia State University United States), Mary Chase Breedlove Mize, Jamie D Aten (0000-0003-1340-2546, Founder and Executive Director of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute Wheaton College United States), Edward B Davis (0000-0003-4409-7759, Associate Professor of Psychology at the School of Psychology, Counseling, and Family Therapy Wheaton College United States), Daryl R Van Tongeren (0000-0002-1810-9448, Associate Professor of Psychology at the Department of Psychology Hope College United States), Kent Annan (Director of Humanitarian and Disaster Leadership at the Humanitarian Disaster Institute Wheaton College United States)
Year2021
Volume45
Issue4
Pages797-818
Publication date2021-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueDisasters (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0361-3666 • E-ISSN: 1467-7717
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/disa.12446
PMID32441346
OpenAlexW3028052700
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited47

Organisational scientists are paying increasing attention to humility, following a larger trend in scholarship highlighting the relational and interdependent nature of leadership and business. A growing body of evidence identifies humility as vital to effective organisational leadership, facilitating positive organisational outcomes, such as lower voluntary turnover and greater follower job satisfaction. To date, research on the subject has focused on certain specific organisational contexts, including businesses, hospitals, and schools. This paper reviews the existing literature and explores why humility may be an especially important leader trait in international humanitarian aid organisations and relief work—a context that is not only uniquely challenging, but also one that would seemingly stand to benefit keenly from the quality. It argues that humility is essential for effective leadership because it is normative of good character, it is predictive of positive outcomes, and it corresponds to a genuine representation of the nature of humanitarian aid

Humility · Interdependence · Normative · Political science · Public relations · Scholarship · Social science · Sociology · Conflict Management and Negotiation · Forgiveness and Related Behaviors · Law · Psychology · Workplace Spirituality and Leadership

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