A Preliminary Exploration of the Changing Paradigms of Leadership in Turbulent Times

A Preliminary Exploration of the Changing Paradigms of Leadership in Turbulent Times

ABSTRACT: Globalisation and disruptive changes have made the organizations realize the need and importance of leadership in turbulent times. The frenetic pace of change, significant growth in technology, scarcity of resources and changing business models pose immense challenges to the organisations to keep competitive. One critical factor for the success of organisations in such times is the capability of the leader at the helm of affairs. This paper is based on findings from Consultancy Service industry and Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) industry, which were evaluated through appropriate statistical techniques (surveys and factor analysis) to find out the critical individual capabilities one should build and inculcate to be an effective leader in turbulent times. The findings suggest that to effectively lead through turbulence a leader will need to be authentic and set directions for others in the team. The leader who can adapt, use analytical and innovative thinking during turbulent times and avoid negative approach through excellent communication will lead a more productive group of followers. This study will be of significance to practicing leaders, researchers, and development experts who are involved in exploring different dimensions of leadership in times of complexity and turbulence.
© 2014 Journal of Management and Science. All rights reserved
Keywords: leaders, leadership skills, turbulent times, India.

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Turbulence and Change
Turbulence in corporate world means uncertainty which often results from intense changes and countless challenges in this global economy (McLester, 2004; Austin, 2002). A recent study has predicted that the exponential sample of current change is so sudden that we would be observing the counterpart of all the key milestones of the twentieth century by the year 2025 (i.e. electricity, internet,

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