Need for Leadership in Times of Crises: Integration of Modern and Post-Modern Leadership Approaches

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the greatest challenges in recent human history as the virus has been spreading all over the world and threating the lives of billions. As of the September 5, 2021, 218 million total cases had been confirmed according to World Health Organization (WHO). All crises have some common characteristics such as they are mostly unexpected and sudden, they are time limited, they have sphere of influence and cause damage, they have antecedents, they make changes and rearrangements. In COVID-19 pandemic crisis, while the sectors of health, economy, aviation, tourism, and ready-made clothing were affected in a negative way, the sectors of food retailers, couriers and online shopping were affected in a positive way. In Chinese, the ‘‘crisis’’ has two meanings: danger and opportunity. Therefore, from the beginning of the pandemic, national governments displayed political and public health-based leadership reactions. The uncertain environment forced leaders to be more proactive and more responsible for the benefits of others. When leadership definition is taken into consideration the globally accepted one is from the study of Bass and Bass (2008) as ‘‘leadership was the ability to influence and, motivate followers and enable others to contribute to the effectiveness and success of the organization of which they are members’’ (p. 49) and a leader is the one who is able to influence followers’ behaviors (Avolio et al., 2020). Based on these definitions, it can be concluded that leaders have power to impact an environment and make positive contribution to the needs of organization for success.

Contingent point of view suggests that behaviors should be shaped and even changed with respect to current conditions. Since pandemic has changed the way of how individuals live, interact, communicate, and work, different leadership style is needed. The change in business environment (e.g., working from home, living in a digitalization world) leads to a need for a new kind of future leadership (Tshabangu, 2015). In the book of The Leadership Challenge (written by Kouzes & Posner, 2002) it is asserted that on the basis of rapid change in the world, though ‘‘the content of leadership’’ has not changed ‘‘the context of leadership’’ has changed. Mirza (2018) defined characteristics of future LEADERs in digital age as learner (i.e., open to learn new things and embracing failures), earner (i.e., having trustful relationship with team members), appealing (i.e., creating core values in organization through communication channels), decisive (i.e., taking risks with a mindful and calm behavior), effective (i.e., taking initiatives for the future of organization in a digital world with a strong personal integrity, incisive decision-making skills and having creative approach to extend space for free thinkers) and reformer (i.e., thinking outside of the box and being transformative in business process while creating a place for generations to fulfill their potentials).

As it can be seen from the components, leader is not in the center, s/he is more a facilitator and have more altrocentric point of view. Salicru (2015: 163-165) defined altrocentric leaders characterized by ‘‘the awareness that they cannot achieve success alone; a much higher degree of empathy, maturity, integrity, and openness; the ability to create and empower high-performing teams; and a greater reliance on collaboration and teamwork’’. Altrocentric leaders create meaning in their organizations, they delegate power, and they act with high maturity, integrity, and empathy. In the pandemic era where people are in high uncertain environment, lose the difference between work and private life, more organic organizations and resonant leadership are originated. Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee (2002) developed two types of leadership styles as: dissonance and resonance. While dissonance leaders demonstrate apathetic relationship, and create unhealthy work environment in organization, resonant leaders create an emotional environment for employees that projects comfortable, cooperative, supportive, and enthusiastic characteristics. It is considered that critical capabilities for leadership are emotional, social, and cognitive competencies in organizations (Bonesso, Gerli, Zampieri, & Boyatsiz, 2020).