Turbulence. Volatile. Uncertainty. Unrest. Upheaval. Up and down. Disruptive. These are the times that were the exception to the rule. These were the times that were supposed to be part of the contingency plans. These are norms today. The world has become fragmented and unsure. Economies are under duress.

Businesses are in a spin. And it is not just a phase. This has made the text book rules look archaic. These have made business laws irrelevant. In this world of shifting sands; how to be steady, how to be stable and how to be sustainable is a tough ask. Leaders are being questioned.

Despite all, leadership is still the key. There is no set of answers that can settle this debate. There are no new rules that can anchor the leader “ship”. Having said that, the rise of a new type of leader is mostly with the fall of the stable type of environments.

The old fables of the rise of leaders from ashes are dramatic but symbolically true. From Henry Ford who said that “Any customer can have a car painted any colour as long as it is black” to Jack Welch who said, “Change before you have to”; there have been rules that have worked.

Leadership theories have evolved over time. The Great Man Theory gave way to the leadership trait theories. Then came the McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory. They all have made contribution to understanding what works and what does not work.

Many critics feel that in today’s world we need a different approach.

Many argue that what has happened and is........

© Business Recorder