Exploring leadership in times of paradox and complexity

Abstract

Purpose -Increasingly, organizations are faced with complex challenges stemming from integrating societal change into business. These challenges create new demands for leadership. The paper aims at more clearly identifying these leadership demands and possible courses of development.Design/methodology/approach -Based on an exploratory, multi-method program of research at the Center for Creative Leadership, this paper reports on cross-national data from 157 practicing managers to uncover the patterns that exist between the societal context, organizations, and the changing nature of leadership. Specifically, the paper addresses the following questions: What skills do individual leaders need to be successful in the future? How is leadership at the organizational level different today, and what will it look like in the future? Are there differences between the US and non-US populations in their view of organizational leadership? What is the current capacity of organizations to accomplish leadership?Findings -Results demonstrate a shift in the practice of leadership from more traditional, individual approaches to more innovative, collaborative approaches. Further, the comparison of non-US with US data shows that non-US populations expect more innovative leadership approaches/philosophies in the future.Research limitations/implications -The implications for research are discussed in terms of expanding the definition of leadership, while implications for practice are framed within the context of emerging approaches to leadership development. Originality/value -This paper will be of value to those practicing leaders, researchers, and development specialists who are interested in exploring the frontiers of leadership in times of paradox and complexity.

Making It Personal: Developing Sustainability Leaders in Business

“…What is notable about these contributions, which have proliferated in recent years, is that the resulting lists of competencies are remarkably similar regardless of whether they are conceptual or empirical, or whether focused on the higher education or business sectors. They all tend to include both core competencies for sustainability and competencies related to management skills, many of which are similar to the leadership competencies articulated by Martin and Ernst (2005) for leadership in times of paradox and complexity more generally. Osagie et al (2016) suggest that many of the competencies described in the literature are somewhat instrumental and underplay the importance of ethics.…”

“…In the face of these challenges, it is increasingly recognized that leadership that engages with sustainability and seeks to promote sustainability outcomes through business activities, often referred to as “sustainability leadership” (Visser & Courtice, 2011), is both crucial (Eccles & Perkins, 2012; Gloet, 2006) and different from traditional business leadership (Gitsham, 2012; Martin & Ernst, 2005). The role of the individual business leader in sustainability has received much less focus in the literature than institutional and organizational dimensions (Aguinis & Glavas, 2012).…”

Eleanor Roosevelt: A crusading spirit to move human rights forward

“…While there are many definitions of leadership, they would all seem to include characteristics of setting direction and getting others to cooperate. 16 Eleanor Roosevelt did both of those and exhibited many other skills needed in a leader. She understood the importance of listening to others, of hard work, of modesty, of compassion and of bravery.…”

From classical to contemporary leadership challenges

“…Notwithstanding, given the pressure and immediacy of modern demands, there can be a tendency to believe that the "prevailing" challenge or crisis at hand is fundamentally different than all others in the past. From one perspective, some leadership experts have asserted that lessons from the past have little to offer contemporary leaders (Accenture, 2001;Khilji, Davis, & Cseh, 2010;Martin & Ernst, 2005) in a modern world of information overload, highspeed communications, and global capital markets driving interdependence:…”