Unmaking the heroic leader: employee-constructed justice, paradox, and humility

Purpose Despite extensive research on transformational leadership, limited attention has been paid to how employees conceptualize leadership beyond theoretical prescriptions, particularly in non-Western higher education contexts. This study explores employee perspectives on future leadership within two Saudi public universities undergoing rapid transformation. Design/methodology/approach Using thematic analysis of 159 employee comments from institutional engagement systems and 26 semi-structured interviews with full-time employees, this study employs transformational leadership theory as a critical point of departure — a received framework against which empirically grounded employee conceptualizations are examined and found to diverge. The analysis engages servant leadership, ethical leadership, paradox leadership, and relational leadership as theoretically adjacent frameworks that better accommodate employees' actual articulations. Findings Five leadership themes emerged: justice-grounded ethical leadership, hierarchical-egalitarian paradox navigation, developmental humility and follower agency, adaptive-stability integration, and enabling empowerment beyond inspiration. Together these themes constitute an employee-constructed leadership framework that diverges from Transformational Leadership Theory (TLT) in five respects: (1) the primacy of organizational justice and merit-based fairness; (2) cultural navigation between hierarchical respect and egalitarian participation; (3) the emphasis on leader humility and follower agency absent from leader-centric formulations; (4) adaptive-stability integration; and (5) the distinction between inspirational motivation and concrete enabling empowerment. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to two Saudi public universities, which may affect generalizability to other higher education or cultural contexts. Future research could use longitudinal or cross-country designs to validate and extend the identified context-sensitive leadership dimensions. It emphasizes integrating cultural, ethical, and adaptive considerations into leadership theory and practice in non-Western institutions. Practical implications The findings inform leadership development, selection, and succession planning in higher education. Emphasizing ethics, justice, relational authenticity, and adaptive capabilities can improve employee engagement and organizational performance during institutional change. Leadership programs can incorporate these dimensions to balance hierarchy with participative practices, fostering agile, inclusive, and context-sensitive leadership. Social implications The study amplifies employee voices, highlighting expectations for fairness, ethical conduct, and participative engagement. Recognizing these perspectives strengthens trust, organizational justice, and inclusivity, supporting culturally attuned and socially responsible leadership that benefits employees, students, and broader higher education stakeholders. Originality/value The research contributes theoretically by articulating a culturally grounded, employee-constructed leadership framework that departs from Western-centric transformational models; empirically through rich qualitative data from a non-Western higher education context; and methodologically through documentary and interview triangulation. It provides context-sensitive insights into leadership expectations, highlighting ethical, relational, and adaptive dimensions often overlooked in traditional frameworks. The study informs higher education policy and practice by offering a framework for developing leaders who can navigate institutional transformation while balancing hierarchy, justice, and employee empowerment.