Colleagues,
Please find below the fourth issue of LQ 2026. Please also see the announcement regarding our new reviewer bridge program!
Articles
From humble beginnings to a critical juncture: redirecting research on humble leadership
Allan Lee, Joanne Lyubovnikova, Niels Van Quaquebeke, Amy Wei Tian, Inmaculada Adarves-Yorno
10.1016/j.leaqua.2026.101974
The renaissance of management: When regular employees become multi-level managers of AI agents
Niels Van Quaquebeke, Brooke A. Gazdag, Allan Lee
10.1016/j.leaqua.2026.101975
The Leadership Quarterly
Reviewer Bridge Program
Purpose
The Leadership Quarterly (LQ) Reviewer Bridge Program recognizes that peer review is more than a quality-assurance mechanism; it is a critical pathway for professional development, scholarly socialization, and intellectual stewardship. Through mentorship, feedback, and reviewing experience, reviewers learn how to contribute constructively to the advancement of leadership research while simultaneously improving their own research and writing skills. Guided by successful reviewer development models by Academy of Management Review and the International Journal of Project Management (Zerjav et al., 2026), the Reviewer Bridge Program provides early-career researchers with guided, hands-on experience in reviewing papers for LQ.
Program Objectives
The Reviewer Bridge Program aims to:
Develop capability by teaching participants how to evaluate theoretical contributions, methodological rigor, practical relevance, and scholarly impact.
Demystify the review process by providing transparency into editorial decision-making and the expectations of leading scholarly journals, in general, and The Leadership Quarterly, in particular.
Build capacity by expanding and diversifying LQ's reviewer pool to meet the growing demand for high-quality reviews.
Strengthen community by integrating emerging scholars into LQ's intellectual network and fostering a culture of developmental, respectful, and inclusive reviewing.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
● Be an early-career scholar (e.g., advanced PhD student/candidate, postdoctoral researcher, or assistant professor).
● Have a demonstrated interest in leadership research and scholarly peer review.
● Have co-authored at least one scholarly article related to leadership or a closely related field in a reputable academic journal.
● Conduct research in leadership from one or more relevant disciplinary perspectives, including:
○ Psychology (e.g., industrial-organizational, social, evolutionary, biological, differential), Management (e.g., organizational behavior, strategy, organizational theory), Political Science, Sociology, Economics (e.g., personnel, behavioral, labor), Anthropology, History, Methodology and Research Methods
Selection will also consider diversity in research interests, methodologies, institutional affiliations, and geographic representation.
Program Structure
The program consists of three developmental phases over approximately 12–18 months:
Phase 1: Orientation and Preparation
Participants are selected through a competitive application process and receive:
● Curated readings on effective peer reviewing and developmental feedback.
● Interactive webinars led by editors and experienced reviewers which will include a discussion of common misconceptions in the review process
● Training on ethical, constructive, and theory-driven reviewing practices.
Phase 2: Guided Reviewing
Each participant is paired with an Associate Editor or Editorial Board mentor who:
● Provides individualized feedback on review quality and developmental suggestions in an active review.
● Helps participants calibrate their evaluations against journal standards.
Participants complete two review assignments as an official ad hoc reviewer and receive mentoring. As a part of the normal review process, they also gain access to editorial decision letters and anonymous reviewer comments, allowing them to compare their assessments with those of experienced reviewers and understand how editorial decisions are formed.
Phase 3: Reflection and Transition
Following completion of the review assignments:
● Participants engage in a structured reflection.
● Participants develop a personalized plan for future reviewing and scholarly service.
● Successful participants receive a certificate of completion from Elsevier and are considered for inclusion as a future ad hoc reviewer and ultimately for consideration in LQ's reviewer pipeline.
Expected Outcomes
By participating in the Reviewer Bridge Program, scholars will:
● Gain confidence and competence in peer reviewing.
● Develop a deeper understanding of leadership theories, methodologies, and scholarly debates.
● Improve their own research design, writing, and revision skills.
● Build professional relationships with editors and fellow scholars.
● Contribute to a culture of developmental, fair, and constructive peer review.
References
Zerjav, V., Martinsuo, M., Papadonikolaki, E., & Huemann, M. (2026). Demystifying peer reviewing: Building capacity, capability and community in project scholarship. International Journal of Project Management, 44, Article 102834. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2026.102834
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