Organizational leaders in the 21st century face relentless changes in the business environments in which they operate. The diversity, intensity, and rapidity of these changes create volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA), which challenge leaders on ways to lead effectively as existing methods prove inadequate. The problem in this study was that of inadequate leader preparedness to lead and win in VUCA environments. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of 15 Nigerian corporate executives about their VUCA business environment and the strategies they employed for VUCA-readiness and success using open-ended interview questions. The conceptual framework guiding this study was a combination of chaos theory and complexity leadership theory. Through Ricoeur’s theory of interpretation, member checking, and contextual triangulation, 11 key themes emerged to highlight key coping and readiness strategies for leaders operating in turbulent environments. The key recommendations for practice are to inculcate VUCA-readiness and organizational resilience principles in line with this study’s findings. The study findings may contribute to positive social change in providing strategies for organizational sustainability, firm success, business readiness, responsive leadership, and enhanced employee well-being.

Regardless of the gap between the demands of the global work environment and the maturity of leaders, minimal research exists on the trend of the practice of mindfulness meditation and the developmental experiences of leaders. Consequently, scholars have little understanding of how an increasing number of leaders experience mindfulness meditation. The purpose of this study was to understand the perceived impact mindfulness meditation had on leader development for 20 manager-leaders who had a regular (at least 3 days a week) mindfulness meditation practice. The primary recruitment strategy included outreach to potential participants affiliated with professionally oriented mindfulness groups on LinkedIn. The main conceptual framework was Day’s conceptualization of leader development. The central research question addressed leaders’ perceptions and experiences of the impact of mindfulness meditation on their development as leaders. A modified Stevick–Colaizzi–Keen data analysis procedure was used in this study. Key results included the identification of 10 core themes and the associated conclusion that leaders who want to contribute solutions to global challenges will have to access more of their potential, which may require engaging in contemplative practices such as mindfulness meditation. The principal recommendation includes the serious consideration of mindfulness meditation by leaders and organizational decision makers of development investments. This study has implications for positive social change, in that a better understanding of how leaders experience mindfulness meditation may provide direction for leaders and organizations about developmental practices that support leadership effectiveness.

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For over 30 years, organizations have engaged in programs to address the growing presence of diverse populations in their ranks, and researchers have attempted to identify and quantify a link between diversity and enterprise performance. There is a general lack of understanding of how organizations benefit from increased diversity and the role of frontline managers in that process. The purpose of this study was to obtain a better understanding of the perceptions and lived experiences of frontline managers in their role of executing diversity management programs. The study’s framework focused on (a) diversity management, (b) managing people, and (c) team performance. The data collection process involved interviewing 12 frontline managers from a variety of industry sectors using a semistructured, conversational interviewing protocol. The open, hand-coded analysis revealed patterns of thought and behaviors relating to managing individuals, managing the complexity of diversity, and managing diverse teams for high performance. The original concept of diversity management was in response to the growing diversity in the workplace and was intended to develop the capacity among managers to manage the resulting diversity mix. The study findings indicated that a common definition of diversity management is possible, that managing diversity requires a competence with all dimensions of diversity, and that there is a set of management skills that can yield better performance with teams of diverse composition. The results of this study can have a positive impact on theory, practice, and general social acceptance of diversity.

This paper discusses several benefits of the online educational experience, specifically as it pertains to the adult learner. The paper focuses on the aspects of collaboration, flexibility, and cultural opportunities. The work concludes that online education is ideal for adult learners because of the aspects of collaboration, flexibility, and diversity it provides utilizing the constructivist approach.