Exploring the DNA of Future Leadership: A Qualitative Study of Competencies for Next-Generation Management Systems
Keywords:
future leadership, next-generation management systems, digital transformation, leadership competencies, qualitative research, intelligent organizations, organizational adaptabilityAbstract
This study aimed to explore the core leadership competencies required for next-generation management systems in digitally transforming, adaptive, and human-centered organizations. This qualitative study was conducted using an interpretive exploratory design. Participants included 22 senior managers, digital transformation leaders, organizational development specialists, and human resource executives working in public and private organizations in Tehran. Participants were selected through purposive sampling based on their direct experience with leadership development, digital transformation, innovation management, or organizational redesign. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews lasting 45 to 75 minutes. Theoretical saturation was reached after the twentieth interview, and two additional interviews were conducted to confirm conceptual adequacy. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding using NVivo software. Trustworthiness was enhanced through member checking, peer review, prolonged engagement with the data, and maintaining an audit trail. Analysis of the interviews produced five main categories representing the “DNA” of future leadership: digital–strategic intelligence, adaptive systems thinking, human-centered empowerment, ethical and responsible decision-making, and collaborative innovation orchestration. Participants emphasized that next-generation leaders must move beyond command-and-control models and act as architects of intelligent, participatory, and resilient organizational systems. The findings showed that future leadership is not merely a set of individual traits but a dynamic configuration of cognitive, technological, relational, ethical, and systemic competencies. The study concludes that leadership for next-generation management systems requires an integrated competency model that combines technological literacy with human-centered judgment, adaptability, ethical awareness, and ecosystem-level collaboration. These findings contribute to leadership theory by conceptualizing future leadership as a systemic capability embedded in intelligent organizational architecture rather than as a purely individual managerial attribute.
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