Suitable Leadership Styles in the VUCA Era Affecting Organizational Effectiveness
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study examines appropriate leadership styles in the VUCA era (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity) and their implications for organizational performance. The objectives were to analyze suitable leadership models, examine the impacts of leadership styles on organizational effectiveness, identify reinforcing factors and propose guidelines for leadership development in the VUCA context. A qualitative research design was employed through an extensive review of documents, empirical studies, and academic articles. Data were synthesized through categorization and content interpretation. The findings reveal that appropriate leadership styles in the VUCA era include transformational leadership, distributed leadership, and flexible leadership. These styles enhance adaptability, creativity, and teamwork. Moreover, key supporting factors are having a clear vision and the flexibility to adapt quickly. Guidelines for developing leadership in the VUCA era emphasize communication, problem-solving, decision-making, and cultivating a learning culture. It is recommended that organizations should focus on developing visionary leaders with flexibility and a strong learning culture, supported by agile systems. Additionally, driving organizations with data and digital technologies can enhance accurate and rapid decision-making while reducing risks from uncertainty.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The content within the published articles, including images and tables, is copyrighted by Rajamangala University of Technology Rattanakosin. Any use of the article's content, text, ideas, images, or tables for commercial purposes in various formats requires permission from the journal's editorial board.
Rajamangala University of Technology Rattanakosin permits the use and dissemination of article files under the condition that proper attribution to the journal is provided and the content is not used for commercial purposes.
The opinions and views expressed in the articles are solely those of the respective authors and are not associated with Rajamangala University of Technology Rattanakosin or other faculty members in the university. The authors bear full responsibility for the content of their articles, including any errors, and are responsible for the content and editorial review. The editorial board is not responsible for the content or views expressed in the articles.
References
Ali, G., Mijwil, M. M., Adamopoulos, I., & Ayad, J. (2025). Leveraging the Internet of Things, remote sensing, and artificial intelligence for sustainable forest management. Babylonian Journal of Internet of Things, 2025, 1–65.
Amabile, T. M. (2020). How your work environment influences your creativity. SEISENSE Journal of Management, 3(6), 70–79. https://doi.org/10.33215/sjom.v3i6.961
Arnold, J. A., Barling, J., & Kelloway, E. K. (2000). Transformational leadership, psychological well-being, and followers’ performance. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 5(3), 245–256.
Awyan, H. B., & Quines, L. A. (2025). Distributed leadership of school heads, participation in decision-making, and teamwork skills of the teachers: A causal model on organizational commitment in public schools. European Journal of Education Studies, 12(2), 705–728. https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v12i2.6215
Bass,B. M., & Riggio, R E. (2006). Transformational leadership (2nd ed.). Psychology Press.
Bawany, S. (2020). Leadership in disruptive times: Negotiating the new balance. Business Expert Press.
Bennett, N., & Lemoine, G. J. (2014). What a difference a word makes: Understanding threats to performance in a VUCA world. Business Horizons, 57(3), 311–317.
Bennett, N., & Lemoine, G. J. (2014). What VUCA really means for you. Harvard Business Review, 92(1/2), 78-83.
Bennis, W., & Nanus, B. (1985). Leaders: The strategies for taking charge. Harper & Row.
Boal, K. B., & Hooijberg, R. (2000). Strategic leadership research: Moving on. The Leadership Quarterly, 11(4), 515–549.
Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027
Chughtai, M. S., Syed, F., Naseer, S., & Chinchilla, N. (2024). Role of adaptive leadership in learning organizations to boost organizational innovations with change self-efficacy. Current Psychology: A Journal for Diverse Perspectives on Diverse Psychological Issues, 43(33), 27262–27281.
Clarke, S. (2012). Leadership in projects: What we know from the literature and new insights. International Journal of Project Management, 30(8), 894–907.
Corbin, J., & Strauss, A. (2015). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks.
Denning, S. (2018). The age of agile: How smart companies are transforming the way work gets done. AMACOM.
Dyer, J., Gregersen, H., & Christensen, C. M. (2011). The innovator's DNA: Mastering the five skills of disruptive innovators. Harvard Business Review Press.
Fischer, B. D., & Charef, L. (2025). Leadership in an agile project management environment. Journal of Leadership Accountability and Ethics, 18(4), 202–215.
Hackman, J. R. (2002). Leading teams: Setting the stage for great performances. Harvard Business Review Press.
Harris, A. (2008). Distributed leadership: According to the evidence. Journal of Educational Administration, 46(2), 172–188.
Heifetz, R. A. (1994). Leadership without easy answers. Harvard University Press.
Heifetz, R. A., & Laurie, D. L. (2001). The work of leadership. Harvard Business Review.
Heifetz, R. A., Grashow, A., & Linsky, M. (2009). The practice of adaptive leadership: Tools and tactics for changing your organization and the world. Harvard Business Press.
Highsmith, J. (2010). Agile project management: Creating innovative products. Addison-Wesley.
Mumford, M. D., & Friedrich, T. L. (2020). Crisis leadership in higher education. Rutgers University Press. https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/crisis-leadership-in-higher-education/9781978801820/
Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive advantage: Creating and sustaining superior performance. Free Press.
Riggio, R. E., & Tan, S. J. (2021). Crisis leadership in higher education. ResearchGate.
Spillane, J. P. (2006). Distributed leadership. Jossey-Bass.
Syamsir, S., Kurniawan, V., & Sari, S. (2025). The influence of workplace facilities and compensation on job satisfaction of village officials in Gembira Village, Gaung District, Indragiri Hilir Regency. International Journal of Indonesian Business Review, 4(2), 161–175. https://doi.org/10.54012/ijibr.v4i2.112
Kim, J., & Kwon, S. (2023). AI literacy for users – A comprehensive review and future research directions. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 9, 100232.
Lewis, T. (2024). Family time is always the best Those cool temps got me excited for winter activities [Instagram post]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com
TLEX Mind Matters. (2025). The essential guide to leadership development in the modern workplace. TLEX Institute. https://www.tlexmindmatters.com/
Tang, X., Li, X., Ding, Y., Song, M., & Bu, Y. (2020). The pace of artificial intelligence innovations: Speed, talent, and trial-and-error. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 164, 120521. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120521
Uhl-Bien, M., & Arena, M. (2022). Adaptive space: How leaders create the conditions. In K. M. Hannum, B. R. Goethals, & C. C. Galvin (Eds.), Leadership lessons from compelling contexts (pp. 69–86). Emerald Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-357120220000013005
Uhl-Bien, M., & Arena, M. (2018). Leadership for organizational adaptability: A theoretical synthesis and integrative framework. The Leadership Quarterly, 29(1), 89–104.
Yukl, G. (2010). Leadership in organizations (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, Pearson Education.
Yukl, G., & Mahsud, R. (2010). Why flexible and adaptive leadership is essential. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 62(2), 81–93. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019835
Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in organizations (8th ed.). Pearson.
