Vibes Don’t Lead [Vibes Bukan Kepimpinan]
Introduction
Imagine a landscape where leaders earn trust through vulnerability, build teams through relationships, and inspire change through humility—this is the world Humble Leadership dares us to create.
Humber Leadership: The Power of Relationships, Openness, and Trust by Edgar H Schein and Peter A. Schein introduces a new leadership standard that matters to existing and emerging leaders.[1] Millennials and Gen-Zs have grown up in a world shaped by rapid change, digital transparency, and social disruption. They are not impressed by titles or top-down authority; they are drawn to leaders who are authentic, emotionally intelligent, and relationally grounded.
Key Points
Respect for All People: Where employees are treated with dignity and encouraged to bring their full selves to work. This supports Level 2 relationships—The Scheins described, ‘The essence of Level 2 is that the people involved, whether managers, employees, peers, clients, patients, or partners, move from being seen as entities performing roles—just partial or undifferentiated contributors who must be kept professionally distant—to being seen as whole people with whom we can develop personal relationships around shared goals and experiences.’[2]
Culture: My first recollection of walking into a store where I found behind an orange apron is a culture built on serving people. Home Depot’s culture is deeply rooted in people-centric values, service excellence, and an inverted leadership pyramid—a structure that places customers and frontline associates at the top, with executives supporting from below.[3] This model fosters a sense of empowerment, trust, and relational depth that aligns remarkably well with the principles of Humble Leadership.
Inverted Pyramid Leadership: According to Home Depot’s associates, the CEO is positioned at the bottom, supporting associates who serve customers. This flips traditional hierarchy and echoes Humble Leadership’s emphasis on relational, not positional, authority.
Empowerment and Growth: Home Depot invests in its people, offering career development and leadership opportunities from within. This reflects the humble leader’s role as a facilitator of others’ growth, not a gatekeeper of power.[4]
Values-Driven Leadership: Millennials and Gen-Zs want their work to align with their values. They’re drawn to leaders who lead with integrity, empathy, and social consciousness. Humble Leadership offers a framework that integrates values into everyday leadership—not as a slogan, but as a lived practice.
Adaptive and Inclusive: The younger generations are digital natives, comfortable with change and diversity. They expect leaders to be adaptive, inclusive, and globally minded. Humble leaders do not pretend to have all the answers—they invite diverse perspectives and adapt collaboratively.
Millennials and Gen-Zs value collaboration over command. They want leaders who listen, co-create, and build trust. Humble Leadership’s Level 2 relationships—based on openness and mutual respect—mirror the kind of workplace culture younger generations thrive in.
My Thinking Cap
I was drawn to chapter seven, “Anticipating the Future of Humble Leadership.”[5] The question, “Brainstorm meta culture trends you need to keep an eye on. What trends excite you, and which ones worry you?”[6] The Scheins described meta culture consisting of the future cultural trends that we predict, with some degree of confidence, will one day have an impact on our organizations.[7] Meta culture trends typically refer to broad, emerging shifts in societal values, behaviors, and identities—often identified through large-scale data analysis across platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Meta (the company) publishes an annual report called Culture Rising, which tracks these trends based on billions of conversations and posts across its apps.[8]
As I consider the cultural shifts shaping our leadership landscape, several meta trends stand out—some energize me deeply, while others raise important questions:
- Micro-communities and intentional belongings. People are shifting from large, impersonal spaces to curated, values-based communities—digital circles, affinity groups, and spiritual cohorts.
- AI and authenticity tension. As AI tools proliferate, there is a growing push for human-first storytelling, voice, and presence.
- Purpose-driven leadership. Millennials and Gen-Zs favor transparency, empathetic leadership rooted in impact and shared responsibility over titles and performance.
- Identity remixing. Self-expression is increasingly fluid, blending spiritual, ethnic, and generational influences.
- Intergenerational dialogue. Younger generations seek elders’ wisdom through mentorship and storytelling—valuing mutuality over hierarchy.
As a leadership developer, I resonate with the following:
- Intergenerational dialogue. This validates my NPO projects and expands its relevance.
- Spiritual rewilding. The leadership discipline class extended the practices for integrating faith and leadership.
As a theology practitioner, I am faced with concerns that challenges my values that requires Christ-like acceptance:
- Performative allyship. Being a member of corporate America, I see the risk of becoming optics-driven rather than transformation-focused.
- AI and authenticity tension. I question how spiritual leaders (including myself) use tech without losing presence and the discernment.
- Identity remixing. Theological framing to honor fluidity while staying rooted to my values.
Conclusion
Chapter seven challenges me to rethink Level 2 relationships that Humble Leadership champions—those built on trust, transparency, and mutual growth. It left me reflecting on this question, “Am I empowering people, or managing impressions?
[1] Edgar H. Schein and Peter A. Schein, Humble Leadership: The Power of Relationships, Openness, and Trust, (Oakland, CA: Berrett Koehler Publishers, 2018).
[2] Schein and Schein, 22.
[3] The Home Depot, Culture at The Home Depot, accessed August 27, 2025, https://careers.homedepot.com/culture..
[4] The Home Depot, Culture at The Home Depot, accessed August 27, 2025, https://careers.homedepot.com/culture..
[5] Schein and Schein, 112.
[6] Schein and Schein, 124.
[7] Schein and Schein, 112-113.
[8] Andrew Hutchinson, “Meta Shares Insights into Emerging Trends in Latest ‘Culture Rising’ Report,” Social Media Today, February 28, 2023, https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/Meta-Publishes-Culture-Rising-Report-for-2023/643790/.
About the Author
Shela Sullivan
Born and raised on the vibrant Penang Island in Malaysia, I cherish the Malaysian greeting, “Mari Makan!!” which reflects the warmth of shared meals. Since 1996, I have called Oregon my home enjoying the raindrops and the serenity of its beaches. The ocean connects me to nature and energizes me. I am a Wife - Mentor - Traveling Pastor - Sourcing Manager Construction. Favorite Bible Verse: "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." ~ Psalm 37:4~ I reside with my husband, David and our fur-baby Rolo. We share passions for travelling, culture, diverse cuisines, home improvements, classic cars and laughter.9 responses to “Vibes Don’t Lead [Vibes Bukan Kepimpinan]”
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Wow great post Shela. How can we tell if we are empowering people or managing impressions? Do you have a sense of what reflective questions or assessment tools we could use to evaluate the difference?
Shela, Ryan beat me to this topic. Great post. I, too, was wondering what helps you discern between empowering people or managing impressions. What are some of the warning signs you see in your life? What are some of the safeguards to help maintain the focus on empowering people?
Hi Kari, thank you for your questions.
As I responded to Ryan, If I am truly empowering people, I am helping them grow, make decisions, and feel safe to speak honestly. If I am managing impressions, I would say that I am more focused on looking good or being liked than on building real trust.
To check the difference, these are my reflective questions:
Am I listening to learn, or just looking interested?
Do people feel safe challenging me?
Am I letting go of control when I delegate?
Your second question: What are some of the safeguards to help maintain the focus on empowering people? To maintain a focus on empowering people, I promote clear values, open communication, inclusive decision-making, and psychological safety (mental wellness). Training leaders to be empathetic and accountable helps build trust and keeps empowerment at the heart of the culture.
Hi Ryan,
Thank you for reading my post and for the questions.
If I am truly empowering people, I am helping them grow, make decisions, and feel safe to speak honestly. If I am managing impressions, I would say that I am more focused on looking good or being liked than on building real trust.
To check the difference, these are my reflective questions:
Am I listening to learn, or just looking interested?
Do people feel safe challenging me?
Am I letting go of control when I delegate?
Great post Shela,
I really appreciate the 5 meta narratives that you are sensing right now. If you could chose one to really focus on in your leadership, which do you think would be the most important?
Good synopsis Shela. I’m wondering what you feel your first steps might be to implement the idea of humble leadership in your own situation?
Thank you Debbie for your question.
A great first step is to shift mindset from “being in charge” to “building trust.” To start by practicing curiosity over control—asking open-ended questions and listening without judgment. Then, focus on forming personal connections with my team, not just professional ones. Being transparent about what I don’t know and inviting others to share their ideas. These small changes help create the kind of safe, collaborative environment that Humble Leadership is all about.
Hi Adam,
Thank you for your question.
I would select meta trend #3: Purpose-driven leadership. Millennials and Gen-Zs favor transparency, empathetic leadership rooted in impact and shared responsibility over titles and performance. Millennials and Gen-Zs value transparency, empathy, and shared purpose over hierarchy and titles, which makes this trend crucial for modern leadership. Humble Leadership emphasizes building trust through genuine relationships, and younger generations expect leaders to be authentic, curious, and impact-driven. Focusing on this shift helps organizations stay relevant, attract talent, and foster a culture where people feel empowered to contribute meaningfully.
Hi Shela, your post has depth in its concepts and also in your thoughts about them. I was particularly drawn to the meta principles you discussed, wondering if you have thoughts on the post-pandemic shift to working remotely, and now a push to be back on site is impacting the way leaders approach team building and empowering employees.