Leading as sensing: connecting within to navigate through chaos
Development and Learning in Organizations
ISSN: 1477-7282
Article publication date: 27 September 2021
Issue publication date: 16 March 2022
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of the paper is to explore leadership behavior as a process of sensing through the connection of various aspects of the self to external dynamics.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on an in-depth study of an international technology firm where 36 managers were interviewed. Content analysis was used to interpret the data.
Findings
If leaders learn to be more authentic in the way they think, feel, and act, they will be more connected to who they are and what they stand for in the face of uncertainty.
Practical implications
Leaders should embrace adversity as an opportunity to connect more deeply to their inner senses by breaking away from their comfort zones and acting courageously through their decisions.
Originality/value
The paper offers a different understanding of adaptive leadership from the sensing perspective. The firsthand experience of managers challenged by the Covid-19 pandemic offers fresh insights into the study of leadership behavior.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author acknowledges the participation of 36 frontline managers in sharing their leadership experience during the Covid-19 pandemic. Feedback from the editor and reviewers about the paper is also appreciated.
Citation
Yeo, R.K. (2022), "Leading as sensing: connecting within to navigate through chaos", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 36 No. 3, pp. 5-7. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLO-03-2021-0050
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited