Leading with Humility: A Strategic Advantage for EmployeesPerformance in Indonesia Chemical Industry Innovation

This study investigates the role of humble leadership behavior in enhancing employee performance within Indonesia’s downstream chemical ‎manufacturing sector. It addresses discrepancies in prior research on team member diversity and its impact on performance, specifically in ‎Bekasi Regency, West Java. Additionally, it examines team spirit as a predictor variable. Using proportional random sampling, 185 respondents were selected from three companies representing a larger population of nine firms. Constructs were clearly operationalized: team ‎spirit was measured by loyalty, cooperation, and creativity, while diversity was assessed in terms of knowledge, abilities, and expertise. ‎Humble leadership behavior was defined by innovation, communication, motivation, and control, while employee performance was evaluated based on outcome quality, responsibility, and independence. Employing SmartPLS version 3.3.5 for data analysis, the study found that ‎humble leadership significantly mediates the relationship between team member diversity and employee performance but does not mediate ‎the link between team spirit and performance. These insights underscore the importance of diversity and leadership development in improving employee outcomes. The study enhances theoretical understanding by providing empirical evidence on leadership mediation and identifies key areas for further exploration in organizational behavior research‎.