The Future of Human-Centered Leadership: Developing a Conceptual Model for Industry 5.0 Organizations
Keywords:
Human-centered leadership, Industry 5.0, digital transformation, qualitative research, artificial intelligence, organizational resilience, human–technology collaborationAbstract
This study aimed to develop a conceptual model of human-centered leadership for Industry 5.0 organizations by exploring how leaders balance technological advancement, human dignity, ethical responsibility, resilience, and collaborative value creation. This qualitative study was conducted using an exploratory interpretive design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 23 senior managers, digital transformation leaders, human resource directors, innovation consultants, and organizational development specialists working in Tehran-based organizations engaged with digitalization, automation, artificial intelligence, or advanced manufacturing practices. Participants were selected through purposive sampling, and theoretical saturation was achieved after the twentieth interview, with three additional interviews conducted to confirm conceptual completeness. Interviews lasted between 45 and 75 minutes and were transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis supported by NVivo software. Open coding, axial categorization, constant comparison, peer review, and member checking were used to improve analytical rigor and trustworthiness. The analysis produced four main categories: human dignity as the strategic core of leadership, technology as augmentation rather than substitution, participatory sensemaking and trust-based coordination, and resilient ethical learning in uncertain socio-technical environments. These categories formed a conceptual model in which human-centered leadership operates through value orientation, human–technology integration, dialogic participation, and adaptive accountability. The model suggests that Industry 5.0 leadership is not merely a soft complement to digital transformation but a strategic capability that converts technological complexity into humane, sustainable, and resilient organizational value. The study concludes that the future of leadership in Industry 5.0 depends on leaders’ ability to design organizations in which humans remain the source of meaning, judgment, creativity, and ethical responsibility while intelligent technologies expand organizational capacity. Human-centered leadership should therefore be understood as a multi-dimensional capability integrating empathy, digital literacy, ethical governance, participatory decision-making, and systemic resilience.
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