Strategic HR Integration of Self-Leadership: Well-Being, Work Happiness and Performance in Organizations

Dear Colleagues,

Today’s organizations increasingly face the dual challenge of sustaining high performance while fostering employee well-being. Conventional human resource management (HRM) and top-down leadership often fall short in cultivating intrinsic motivation, resilience, and sustainable engagement (Houghton et al., 2024). In response, recent scholarship identifies self-leadership as a key strategic lever for both individual and organizational success and documents robust links to performance, self-efficacy, and positive job attitudes (Harari, Williams, Castro, & Brant, 2021).

Self-leadership is the process through which individuals influence their own thoughts, behaviors, and emotions to achieve self-direction and intrinsic motivation (Manz & Neck, 2004; Houghton et al., 2024). Recent evidence highlights tangible benefits, enhancing crucial psychological resources such as vitality and coping skills (Bjerke, 2024, 2025a) and supporting innovation, embeddedness, and a reduction in counterproductive behaviors across contexts (Carmeli et al., 2006; Pillay, Nel, & Harunavamwe, 2020; Jian, He, & Sun, 2024). Meta-analytic work further clarifies trait antecedents, mechanisms, and strategy–outcome specificity (Harari et al., 2021). Together, these studies position self-leadership as a competency enhancing both individual performance and organizational outcomes. The critical challenge for organizations, therefore, is to understand how to cultivate this competency—both within the individual and within the broader work environment.

To advance this premise, emerging research offers a more holistic perspective. This begins with health-promoting self-leadership, which enriches the classic framework by incorporating preventive health, energy management, and psychological coping to build the individual's inner foundation of resilience and vitality (Bjerke, 2024; 2025a). Complementing this intrapersonal focus, parallel research on work happiness provides a crucial contextual lens. Bjerke (2025b) identifies a dual structure for work happiness, comprising sources (antecedents) and emotional expressions (outcomes). The research shows how specific sources, such as autonomy, recognition, and togetherness, create positive emotions. Ultimately, this demonstrates that well-being (happiness) arises from the interaction between the empowered “I” (personal agency) and the collective “We” (social connectedness).

Collectively, this emerging body of evidence demonstrates that self-leadership and its health-promoting practices are powerful mechanisms for enhancing well-being, resilience, and performance (Bjerke, 2024; 2025a; 2025b; Houghton et al., 2024; Pursio et al., 2025; Ndiango, 2025) and for sustaining gains from professional development by moderating transfer and maintenance over time (Goldsby, Goldsby, Neck, Neck, & Mathews, 2021). In high-pressure settings, targeted time-management and self-leadership routines improve decision quality (Goldsby, Goldsby, Neck, & Neck, 2020), even as pressure can constrain cognitively demanding strategies, underscoring the need for context-fit designs (Neck, Neck, Goldsby, & Goldsby, 2023). HR readiness and upskilling agendas similarly point to structured self-leadership development for future-fit practice (Schultz, 2021). This evidence elevates self-leadership from a merely beneficial skill to a core driver of sustainable organizational success—one that must be systematically cultivated through integrated HR and leadership strategies.

Rationale for this Special Issue

This Special Issue addresses the critical question of how self-leadership and health-promoting strategies can be systematically integrated into the core systems of the organization. While self-leadership has been linked to enhanced self-efficacy, reduced stress, and sustained performance (Bjerke, 2024; Pursio et al., 2025), evidence suggests boundary conditions and context-contingent effects, such as strategy–outcome specificity and cultural variability (Harari et al., 2021), pressure-induced constraints on cognitive techniques (Neck et al., 2023), and post-training transfer gaps, that self-leadership may moderate (Goldsby et al., 2021). Moreover, HR systems interact with leadership and self-leadership to shape behaviors such as procrastination (Jian et al., 2024) and retention via job embeddedness (Pillay et al., 2020), while innovation benefits arise when behavior-focused, natural reward, and constructive-thought strategies are deliberately cultivated (Carmeli et al., 2006). Also, by developing self-leadership and mindfulness competencies, managers can both curb negative leadership patterns and cultivate the authentic, balanced behaviors that promote employee well-being and lower sickness absence (Buzeti, 2022; Tenschert et al., 2024). Time-pressured domains further show the value of pairing time management with self-leadership routines (Goldsby et al., 2020), and future-oriented HRM agendas call for structured self-leadership training and upskilling (Schultz, 2021).

This Special Issue, therefore, invites contributions that explore, but are not limited to, the following themes:

1. Conceptual and Theoretical Foundations

Papers that refine theoretical models of self-leadership and its integration within HRM, leadership, and motivation frameworks. We particularly encourage research clarifying mechanisms and boundary conditions across the three core strategy families—behavior-focused, natural reward, and constructive thought—and their distinct effects on outcomes such as performance, creativity, and well-being (Harari et al., 2021; Carmeli et al., 2006).

2. Boundary Conditions and Paradoxes

Investigations into the “dark side” of self-leadership, including ethical and psychological risks, over-regulation, or stress arising under high pressure. Studies exploring contextual moderators such as leadership style, power distance, and culture are particularly welcome (Neck et al., 2023; Harari et al., 2021).

3. Leadership and HR System Interactions

Research on how formal leaders and HR systems can enable, constrain, or co-develop self-leadership capabilities. This includes the integration of developmental HR practices (DHRP) and leadership behaviors that jointly shape engagement, productivity, and procrastination (Jian et al., 2024).

4. Health, Resilience, and Psychological Resources

Studies linking self-leadership to well-being, coping, and resilience, particularly through health-promoting practices and psychological capital (PsyCap). Contributions exploring self-efficacy, optimism, and vitality as mediators between self-leadership and sustained performance are encouraged (Bjerke, 2024, 2025a; Pillay et al., 2020).

5. Innovation, Learning, and Performance

Papers addressing self-leadership as a driver of creativity, knowledge sharing, and adaptive learning in complex, team-based environments. Studies connecting self-leadership to innovation outcomes and shared leadership processes are especially relevant (Carmeli et al., 2006; Harari et al., 2021).

6. Strategic Interventions and Training Transfer

Studies that design and evaluate HR or leadership interventions that integrate self-leadership, time management, and energy management to enhance training transfer and long-term performance (Goldsby et al., 2020, 2021). Contributions addressing scalability, longitudinal effects, and coaching or mentoring practices are particularly valuable.

7. Future-Fit and Technological Contexts

Research exploring self-leadership within Industry 4.0, digital, and hybrid work settings, examining how technology, AI tools, and new HR competencies support self-directed learning and engagement (Schultz, 2021; Harari et al., 2021).

8. Methodological and Multilevel Advancements

Empirical contributions employing longitudinal, experimental, or mixed-method approaches that capture the dynamic and multilevel nature of self-leadership processes, including the interplay between individual, team, and organizational factors (Harari et al., 2021; Bjerke, 2025a).

References

Bjerke, R. (2024). The multiple advantages of self-leadership in higher education: The role of health-promoting self-leadership among executive MBA students. Administrative Sciences, 14(9), 211. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14090211

Bjerke, R. (2025a). Employee emotions during organizational change among Nordic academics: Health-promoting self-leadership as a coping strategy. Businesses, 5(3), 27. https://doi.org/10.3390/businesses5030027

Bjerke, R. (2025b). Exploring the multifaceted nature of work happiness: A mixed-method study. Administrative Sciences, 15(9), 351. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci15090351

Buzeti, J. (2022). The connection between leader behaviour and employee sickness absence in public administration. International journal of organizational analysis, 30(7), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-09-2020-2425

Carmeli, A., Meitar, R., & Weisberg, J. (2006). Self-leadership skills and innovative behavior at work. International journal of manpower, 27(1), 75–90. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437720610652853

Goldsby, M. G., Goldsby, E. A., Neck, C. B., Neck, C. P., & Mathews, R. (2021). Self-leadership: A four-decade review of the literature and trainings. Administrative Sciences, 11(1), 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci11010025

Goldsby, E., Goldsby, M., Neck, C. B., & Neck, C. P. (2020). Under pressure: Time management, self-leadership, and the nurse manager. Administrative Sciences, 10(3), 38. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci10030038

Harari, M. B., Williams, E. A., Castro, S. L., & Brant, K. K. (2021). Self‐leadership: A meta-analysis of over two decades of research. Journal of occupational and organizational psychology, 94(4), 890–923. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12365

Houghton, J. D., Wu, J., Godwin, J. L., Neck, C. P., & Manz, C. C. (2024). Now more than ever: Emotional intelligence, self-leadership, and student stress coping revisited. Journal of Management Education, 48(6), 1020–1026. https://doi.org/10.1177/10525629241263804

Jian, H., He, B., & Sun, X. (2024). The impact of developmental human resource practices on employee workplace procrastination: the moderating role of exploitative leadership and self-leadership. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 45(8), 1548–1567. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-12-2023-0662

Ndiango, S. (2025). The power of self-leadership: Unravelling the role of self-leadership on academics’ research productivity. Cogent Education, 12(1), 2442889. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2442889

Neck, C. B., Neck, C. P., Goldsby, E. A., & Goldsby, M. G. (2023). Pushing down on me: The paradoxical role of self-leadership in the context of work pressure. Administrative Sciences, 13(5), 117. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci13050117

Pillay, D., Nel, P., & Harunavamwe, M. (2020). The influence of psychological capital and self-leadership strategies on job embeddedness in the banking industry. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 18(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhrm.v18i0.1294

Pursio, K., Kvist, T., Kankkunen, P., & Fennimore, L. A. (2025). Self-leadership and why it matters to nurses: A scoping review. International Nursing Review, 72(1), e70014. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.70014

Schultz, C. M. (2021). The relationship between self-leadership, the future of human resource management, and work engagement. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 19, 12. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhrm.v19i0.1701

Tenschert, J., Furtner, M., & Peters, M. (2024). The effects of self-leadership and mindfulness training on leadership development: a systematic review. Management Review Quarterly, 1–52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-024-00448-7

Possible Contributions

We welcome a broad spectrum of scholarly contributions, including the following:

• Conceptual and Theoretical Papers: Papers developing integrative or process-oriented models of self-leadership, clarifying its mechanisms, boundary conditions, and ethical dimensions. Conceptual work that links self-leadership to HRM systems, organizational learning, or the future of work is particularly encouraged.
• Empirical Studies: Quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods research examining how self-leadership strategies (behavior-focused, natural reward, and constructive thought) influence outcomes such as performance, innovation, resilience, and retention. Studies employing multilevel, longitudinal, or experimental designs to test mediators such as self-efficacy, PsyCap, or engagement are especially welcome.
• Action Research and Case Studies: In-depth explorations of interventions and organizational practices that embed self-leadership into HR frameworks, training programs, or leadership pipelines. Case studies demonstrating successful applications in high-pressure, hybrid, or cross-cultural contexts will be prioritized.
• Practice- and Policy-Oriented Papers: Contributions translating research insights into practical tools, digital solutions, and HR strategies for building self-led, future-ready workforces. Submissions connecting self-leadership to sustainability, employee well-being, and organizational resilience are particularly relevant.

Submissions should aim to bridge the gap between micro-level self-regulation and macro-level organizational strategy, advancing the evidence base for self-leadership as a strategic HRM capability that fosters sustainable performance, engagement, and innovation.

By integrating perspectives from leadership studies, organizational psychology, and human resource management, this Special Issue will reposition self-leadership as a strategic cornerstone of the 21st-century organization. Moving beyond leader-centric and compliance-based models, it emphasizes self-directed, health-promoting, and future-ready workplaces where employees take active ownership of performance, well-being, and learning.

Expected Impact

The issue aims to undertake the following:

• Establish an integrative framework that connects self-leadership with HR systems, developmental practices, and organizational learning, linking micro-level self-regulation to macro-level performance and sustainability outcomes;
• Illuminate key mechanisms and boundary conditions, such as self-efficacy, PsyCap, innovation, and contextual moderators, that explain how self-leadership drives engagement, creativity, and retention across diverse work settings;
• Advance evidence-based management practice by showcasing scalable interventions and digital tools that embed self-leadership into training, health promotion, and talent development frameworks;
• Stimulate multilevel, longitudinal, and cross-cultural research that clarifies how contextual and cultural factors shape the enactment and impact of self-leadership across industries;
• Encourage the integration of well-being and performance agendas, demonstrating how cultivating self-leadership enhances both individual thriving and sustainable organizational success.

Ultimately, this Special Issue will provide a landmark reference for scholars and practitioners seeking to understand and operationalize self-leadership as a strategic HRM capability—one that unites personal growth, health, and organizational performance in a single, future-oriented framework.

Prof. Dr. Rune Bjerke
Guest Editor

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• self-leadership
• strategic human resource management (SHRM)/(self-leadership as an HRM strategy)
• health-promoting and sustainable self-leadership (e.g., leadership development, energy management, resilience, stress and sickness absence, return to work)
• psychological capital (PsyCap) and self-efficacy
• employee well-being and resilience
• work engagement and happiness
• innovation, creativity, and learning
• organizational performance and retention
• emotional self-regulation and coping
• digitalization, AI, and future-fit HRM