Competency Characteristics of the Innovative Talent Leader : A Multiple Case Study

In today’s volatile global market, outdated human resources practices continue to cause value-driven talent loss. Corporate executives have sparse information on the needed competency characteristics for an innovative talent leader whose primary responsibility is retaining value-driven talent to support organizational competitive advantage. This multiple case study addressed talent management experts’ views on an innovative talent leader's competency characteristics. Semistructured interviews with 10 participants, journaling field notes, and archival data constituted the multiple data sources. Through thematic analysis and cross-case synthesis and analysis, six categories enclosing 16 themes were identified. The analysis allowed informing corporate executives on novel and creative means to prevent talent loss while evolving outdated human resources processes that lead to exit behaviors. The results are an original contribution to the theoretical literature on talent management leader roles that have yet to be introduced theoretically or developed conceptually within the talent management body of knowledge or scholarly literature. Recommendations are made for future research directions and social change initiatives on talent management leadership roles within organizations to better support sustainability goal agendas