The Evolution of Strategic Leadership Systems Under Digital Transformation: A Multi-Case Study Approach
Keywords:
Strategic leadership, digital transformation, leadership systems, multi-case study, dynamic capabilities, organizational adaptation, qualitative researchAbstract
This study aimed to develop a qualitative understanding of how strategic leadership systems evolve in organizations undergoing digital transformation. This qualitative study used a multi-case study design to explore the evolution of strategic leadership systems across six digitally transforming organizations in Tehran. Participants were selected purposively from senior managers, digital transformation leaders, IT directors, strategy managers, and middle managers directly involved in digital initiatives. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 24 participants, and recruitment continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Interviews focused on leadership decision-making, digital strategy formation, organizational learning, technology-enabled coordination, resistance management, and shifts in authority structures. All interviews were audio-recorded with consent, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis supported by NVivo software. Coding proceeded through open coding, axial categorization, and selective theme development. To enhance trustworthiness, the study used member checking, peer review, analytic memo writing, and cross-case comparison. The analysis identified four main categories explaining the evolution of strategic leadership systems under digital transformation: strategic sensemaking and environmental scanning, distributed and data-informed decision-making, cultural and capability reconfiguration, and adaptive governance for digital renewal. The findings showed that digital transformation changed leadership from a hierarchical planning function into a dynamic system of interpretation, coordination, experimentation, and continuous learning. Participants emphasized that strategic leaders increasingly act as architects of digital meaning, integrators of human and technological capabilities, and facilitators of organizational agility. Cross-case analysis further revealed that successful transformation depended less on the adoption of specific technologies and more on the development of leadership routines that enabled rapid learning, cross-functional collaboration, and strategic alignment. The study concludes that digital transformation reshapes strategic leadership systems by changing how organizations interpret uncertainty, allocate authority, develop capabilities, and sustain renewal. Strategic leadership in digitally transforming organizations is not limited to top executives; rather, it emerges through interconnected practices distributed across formal and informal leadership roles. The proposed model contributes to leadership and digital transformation research by explaining how strategic leadership systems evolve from centralized control toward adaptive, data-informed, and learning-oriented configurations.
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