Community Leadership and Its Contribution to Rural Revitalization Under the Context of Population Hollowing‐Out: Evidence From Shanghai, China

ABSTRACT The importance of organizational leadership has been widely acknowledged, while the nuances, roles and the mechanisms of community leadership, as a unique bottom‐up type, have been inefficiently explored, especially in rural spaces under the context of population hollowing out. Based on the practices of pilot villages in Shanghai, China, this study delves into the intricate roles of rural community leadership, elucidating its contributions to the implementation of rural revitalization initiatives. Identified into three dimensions of leading and demonstrating, mobilization and organization, and reputation and credibility, and analyzed via Probit models, rural community leadership are found to be critical for the revitalization of villages with hollowing out population. All three dimensions significantly influence rural revitalization outcomes, with varying moderating effects on other key factors, such as stakeholder involvement and policy implementation. Notably, the capability of mobilization and organization emerges as paramount for short‐term outcomes, reputation and credibility becomes increasingly crucial for long‐term success, while the leading and demonstrating capability tends to be the bottom‐line requirement for community leaders. This study highlights the increasing importance of cultivating rural community leadership within the left‐behind population for rural development, and the need for sustained efforts to enable community leaders to maximize their talents.