PurposeDrawing upon upper echelon, regulatory focus and attention theories and focusing on SMEs, the purpose of this paper is to answer questions on how the motivational disposition (promotion vs. prevention regulatory focus) of CEOs affects their information search patterns (i.e. search selection and intensity) and consequently organizational level engagement in different types of innovation activities (exploration vs. exploitation).Design/methodology/approachA quantitative study was conducted collecting data from the CEOs of SMEs operating in the dynamic wine and spirits industry in Greece. The data were collected in two independent time streams and the proposed theoretical model was tested by applying OLS regression analysis.FindingsThe current research provides evidence that differences in CEOs’ level of promotion and prevention focus trigger different information search selection and search intensity patterns. Nonetheless, the attention to innovation components act as mediators only in the hypothesized relationships between a CEO's level of prevention and promotion focus and exploration. Paradoxically, filtered through attention to innovation and triggered from the same motive, that is to reduce negative emotions, promotion focus CEOs choose to direct resources to exploitation and avoid investing in exploration, whilst the opposite was supported for prevention focus CEOs.Practical implicationsThe results highlight the important role of a CEO's regulatory focus orientation in promoting diverse attention to innovation patterns and firm-level innovation tendencies towards exploration and/or exploitation.Originality/valueThis study's contributions extend and combine the theories of regulatory focus, UET and attention in the field of managerial/entrepreneurship behavior and innovation. Therefore, they are valuable for understanding the determinants of firm-level innovation choices (exploration vs. exploitation) in SMEs.

In today's environment the leader is already faced with changes in the status quo of the field of work. Changes such as automation and digitization of work, changing forms of employment and the constant demand for further specialization make up an explosive context that could not easily be considered productive and psychologically likable for humans. There has been a great demographic shift, therefore different generations of employees need to be led properly within the organization. On the threshold of the 4.0 industrial revolution, leaders need to balance variables such as technological advances and the generational differences and/or clashes. To properly lead the organization, leaders must have abilities and skills that fall within all four capitals, economic, human, social and positive psychological capital. The ever-evolving theory of leadership highlights the characteristics that leaders must have for the organization to prosper and subordinates/followers as well. The paper discusses the leadership theory and the emergence of e-leadership. The new mentality and the differences within different generations are analyzed as well. The paper proposes the concept of the ‘holistic’ leader and discusses the gap regarding the leadership theories and the need for the higher education programs to be modified for the new leaders to be trained more effectively.