Adaptive leadership responses : Introduction to an emerging classification of zeitgeist enactments, practices and virtues for a VUCA world

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to posit a hierarchical classification of enactments, practices and virtues that comprise an emerging adaptive leadership response to the prevailing volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) conditions. Design/methodology/approach – Reports and discusses the findings of two neo-classical grounded theory research studies to theorise augmented leadership repertoires for VUCA worlds. The first study was conducted with eight large regional and multinational organisations in Australia. The second is an on going, longitudinal study undertaken with 18 regional, national and multinational organisations in New Zealand. Findings – The first neo-classical grounded theory study in Australia identifies a set of emerging leadership practices labelled, “Zeitgeist – Integrating Cognition, Conscience and Collective Spirit”, as part of such a repertoire. The preliminary results of the second neo-classical grounded theory research extension in New Zealand, results in the further grounded theorising of the ensemble leadership repertoire (ELR), which is an emerging and hierarchical classification of leadership enactments, practices and virtues for prevailing times. The classification is robust because of its methodological similarities and conceptual congruence with other emerging and well-accepted classifications like, for example, character strengths in positive psychology. Originality/value – The grounded theorising provides a core category of the ELR which has its origins in substantive context. It lists 93 enactments inducted from leaders’ key phrases. These enactments in turn aggregate in relational sets through the process of constant comparison to describe 14 practices, which in sets of dyads and triads describe the five zeitgeist leadership virtues of being present, being good, being in touch, being creative and being global.