Date: 12 November 2025, Wednesday
Time: 10.30 – 11.30
Place: MA-330
” Don’t judge a leader by their reluctance”
by
Bahar Moralıgil
Loughborough University
Abstract
Organizations lack the leadership they need. Despite investing billions in high-potential (HiPo) programs, most organizations fail to identify and develop effective leaders. A major barrier to the success of these programs is the misrecognition of true potential, where individuals with potential are overlooked during HiPo selection. Drawing on evidence from three studies, this research examines whether reluctance to lead (RTL), which is conceptualized as the hesitation of a high-potential individual to exercise leadership, contributes to the misrecognition by masking the true potential. Across three studies, I developed and validated the first dedicated RTL measure, tested whether HR professionals’ HiPo selection decisions are biased against reluctant candidates, and examined whether moderate levels of leaders’ RTL can enhance their perceived leadership effectiveness. Findings show that HR professionals overlooked a competent candidate with reluctance when considering their leadership potential, revealing a “reluctance bias” in talent identification. Yet, contrary to expectations, reluctant individuals are no less or no more effective than their non-reluctant peers (e.g., eager or decisive), if selected. These results highlight a critical gap between how reluctance is perceived and how it manifests in practice. By revealing reluctance bias as a barrier in talent identification, this research highlights the need for organizations to critically reevaluate their HiPo selection processes and calls for a more nuanced understanding of leadership potential.
Bio
Bahar Moraligil is a social sciences scholar focused on leadership and talent recognition. She is currently a Doctoral Researcher at Loughborough University. She has a decade of industry experience in HR roles within multinational organisations, alongside NGO leadership in women’s empowerment. Her research interests include leadership attitudes, the emergence and effectiveness of leaders, and the dynamics of diversity, inclusion, and recognition in leadership. Moraligil has published her work in leading journals, including Human Resource Management Journal and the European Management Journal, contributing to scholarship in leadership and talent identification.