Leading Through Generations: Crafting Adaptive Leadership Styles for Modern Enterprises

Abstract

This contribution examines the evolution of leadership styles over time. It explores the ways in which these styles have adapted to changing economic environments and generational shifts, also highlighting the intricate interplay between leadership and cultural nuances. The research applies a longitudinal lens to the development of leadership styles, focusing on their adaptability across the lifecycle stages of two universities in Austria and Ukraine. The findings stress the importance of leadership adaptability to organizational and generational changes and emphasize the influence of cultural factors on leadership styles. The investigation employs two case studies, enabling an exploration of the interplay between leadership, lifecycle, culture, and generational nuances. The findings reveal differences in leadership styles, underscoring the impact of cultural, lifecycle and generational factors on leadership genesis. The study concludes that leadership must be adaptive and evolve in tandem with the lifecycle stages of an organization. It also stresses generational differences in leadership and the crucial role of culture in shaping leadership styles. This contribution augments the discourse on leadership adaptability, offering insights for future research and practical implications for leadership and governance in varying cultural and generational settings.