Leading Organizations of the Future A New Framework

This book delves into uncharted territory, offering an extensive exploration of the future of organizations and how they should be led. In a world characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA), traditional organizational paradigms no longer suffice. Instead, this book introduces a visionary framework for the leadership of tomorrow's organizations, one that adapts to the unique demands of each situation.

Drawing on insights from interviews with 12 subject matter experts, this research-driven work challenges the relevance of twentieth-century leadership styles in the VUCA era. The experts highlight the importance of metagovernance, complexity leadership, and sense-making as essential components of navigating the ever-evolving landscape of modern organizations.

Central to this exploration is the question of how to develop a context-specific leadership management framework capable of guiding organizations through simple, complicated, complex, and chaotic contexts. This book not only identifies the pressing need for such a framework but also provides a comprehensive blueprint for its creation.

This book is a valuable resource for those who wish to understand the future of organizational leadership and how it can adapt to the challenges and opportunities of the twenty-first century. It not only reshapes the current understanding of leadership but also offers practical insights that will shape the organizations of the future.

Olivier Serrat is an organizational leadership and an action theorist. His interest in organizational effectiveness and sustainable development grew while working on agriculture, environment, and natural resources in Asia and the Pacific, where in more than a dozen countries, he strove to promote prosperity, inclusiveness, resilience, and sustainability. He spearheaded knowledge management at the Asian Development Bank from 2008 to 2012. He is the author of Digital Solutions: Reframing Leadership (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023), Leading Solutions: Essays in Business Psychology (Springer, 2021), Knowledge Solutions: Tools, Methods, and Approaches to Drive Organizational Performance (ADB and Springer, 2017), Learning in Development (ADB, 2010), and other books. He conceptualized and edited Guidelines for Knowledge Partnerships (ADB, 2011) and ADB: Reflections and Beyond (ADB, 2010).