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This article aims to present an approach to enhance the firm performance of SMEs by understanding the dynamics between the elements of the transformational leadership style of the CEO and the agility of the supply network. The business environment among SMEs is marked by fierce rivalry, quick change, and tremendous instability. While an agile supply chain is seen as a winning option for manufacturing SMEs, a transformational leadership style of the CEO can be a source of competitive advantage to improve their performance. Thus, an attempt has been made to integrate transformational leadership and supply chain agility elements and delineate their structural relationship using the total interpretive structural modeling method. Results indicate that transformational leaders drive agile initiatives in the supply chain by setting and communicating a vision, encouraging supply chain members to think of innovative solutions for problems, and mentoring them individually to achieve high-performance standards. These practices will make the team members put in extra effort to accomplish the task, thereby establishing a committed and flexible workforce. Conclusions are drawn, and implications are discussed for enhancing firm performance.

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Purpose This study aims to analyze the state of knowledge on the relationship between leadership and the firm’s supply chain. The study identifies and examines the existing literature, unveils research gaps and suggests future research directions. Design/methodology/approach Adopting a systematic review process, a total of 110 articles published in top-ranked academic journals (A* and A category as per ABDC-2019 list) were analyzed. Descriptive, cluster, thematic and regression analyses of citations were performed to garner insights. Findings The review outcome shows an upward trend of articles studying the influence of leadership in the supply chain. With the highest number of articles, developed countries and manufacturing companies have been the research contexts of the research studies. Clustering reveals eight significant areas where the leader’s involvement in the supply chain is discussed, with several sub-themes emerging within each cluster. Finally, the regression analysis of citations shows that only the journal’s quality matters the most in receiving the highest citation for the articles. Research limitations/implications As this study considered only A* and A-ranked journals of the ABDC-2019 list, there is a risk of excluding some relevant articles. Originality/value While the current literature deliberates on recent trends in the supply chain, such as the application of Industry 4.0 practices, this review revolves around the classical theme of leadership and demonstrates its importance in the supply chain. The study is among the first to conduct a bibliometric analysis of articles deliberating on leadership and supply chain issues by grouping the articles into clusters and themes. In the end, the clusters and themes were conceptualized into the “House of Supply Chain Leadership,” of which leadership forms the foundation.