Self-Leadership and Innovative Behavior Among Entrepreneurship Educators: The Mediating Role of Mindfulness

Entrepreneurship educators play a critical role in fostering innovation and creativity within higher education institutions. This study explores the relationship between self-leadership and innovative behavior among entrepreneurship educators, with mindfulness serving as a mediating factor. Self-leadership, characterized by self-regulation, intrinsic motivation, and goal-setting, is essential for entrepreneurship educators to effectively guide students and promote an innovative learning environment. Simultaneously, innovative behavior involves generating, promoting, and realizing new ideas that can enhance educational practices. Recent studies suggest that mindfulness, defined as a heightened awareness and attention to the present moment, can enhance individuals' self-leadership capabilities and foster a conducive environment for innovation. This research adopts a quantitative approach, surveying entrepreneurship educators from various higher learning institutions in Malaysia. A structural equation modeling (SEM) method is employed to examine the direct relationship between self-leadership and innovative behavior and the mediating role of mindfulness. Preliminary findings suggest that self-leadership positively influences innovative behavior, with mindfulness significantly mediating this relationship. The implications of this research are critical for higher education policymakers and educators seeking to enhance innovative pedagogical practices in entrepreneurship education. By integrating self-leadership development and mindfulness practices, institutions can better equip educators with the skills and mindset necessary to drive innovation in their teaching methods. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on self-leadership and mindfulness, offering new insights into how these constructs can jointly enhance innovative behavior among entrepreneurship educators.