2026-05-02T08:00:35Z https://datacatalogue.cessda.eu/oai-pmh/v0/oai

64ae62edee5a103d0b1863896bdf60f1899909ea184d53235e9bea555d6ca34d 2026-03-30T02:16:55Z language:nlopenaire_data

Public strategic leaders and their reflective practice in accelerated times Public strategic leaders and their reflective practice in accelerated times doi:10.17026/SS/PG7TBI B. Van der Steen DANS Data Station Social Sciences and Humanities LEADERSHIPINFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGYSOCIAL PROBLEMSWORKING CONDITIONSSocial Sciences In recent times, leaders at the strategic levels in organisations are facing increasingly complex changes and diverse challenges accompanied with a growing body of information. We argue that these demanding changes, as for example seen with the pandemic of Covid-19, need to be accompanied by improved reflective practices. This study investigates the value of slow questions and meaningful relations in the reflective practices of these leaders. The first step is to study the specific context and issues these leaders are coping with. In current times, the scale of change leaders are facing is remarkable and particularly visible in military-, communication- and transportation technology. Technology brings significant changes for global issues such as climate change, population growth, food supply, relying on for example biotechnology, artificial intelligence and nanotechnology (Diamandis & Kotler, 2020). These developments enable huge technological advances and also bring new complexities and paradoxes. For example, the paradox that more knowledge does not lead to more control, but to an increase in feelings of uncertainty (Obolensky, 2014). Throughout history, people have the tendency to experience their specific era as increasingly complex. This is a common phenomenon of all times. Interesting for this study is that the issues concerning this complexity show the particular challenges leaders are facing in this specific time, and how they seek to identify and grasp these changes occurring (Van Dijk, 2016). A recent study of 13.124 leaders in organisations indicates that uncertainty and complexity is the greatest challenge leaders are facing due to these changes. This research on the impact of this uncertainty and complexity also exposes that 18% of leaders feel capable of leading in this context (Bennett & Lemoine, 2014). They are facing an increase of ambiguous situations and new questions, asking for a fundamental new perspective on leadership (Obolensky, 2014). Van Loon & Van Dijk (2015) also describe the greatest leadership challenges as ‘being able to cope with complexity, global interconnectedness and continuous change’. Heifetz (1994), Marion & Uhl-Bien (2011, 2008) call these challenges ‘adaptive challenges.’ Adaptive challenges are defined as problems that are too complex to be easily resolved and that require social engagement and support. In this study we follow the scope of Marion & Uhl-Bien, focussing specifically on leaders dealing with ‘wicked issues’, referring to complex and new problems which have not been experienced by others before, which means that no prior knowledge available (Grint, 2005). Examples are problems with societal issues in a complex field of stakeholders, such as loneliness among elderly, high-school drop-outs or obesity amongst children. At a macro-level the challenge is how to approach social- or societal problems in a complex field of stakeholders. At micro-level the challenges lie in everyday decisions and how to intervene in complex processes. Next to these adaptive challenges, leaders are overloaded with incoming information and impulses, due to these digital times (Rosenberg & Feldman, 2008). A growing number of leaders experience an accelerating force and ‘no time to think’ (Raelin, 2002). ‘Doing’ swallows up reflecting and learning (Amulya, 2004, Raelin, 2002). Rosa states that the acceleration in communication and the possibilities due to technology are the sources of stress, burnout and depression (Rosa, 2010, 2016, 2019). Leaders are thereby confronted with another paradoxical pattern, namely that despite having more time because of technological inventions, they experience ‘shrinking time’; wanting to do more in less time (Rosa, 2010, 2016, 2019). According to Rosa, speed becomes a normative and totalitarian force. He addresses the problem that we are unable to form a meaningful relationship to this accelerated, uncontrollable world. Considering these two forces, complexity due to change and acceleration, the main concern of this project is that ‘time to reflect and think’ is vital in the context of leadership, both for leaders and followers, coping with complexity, global interconnectedness and continuous change in an increasingly digital era (Van Dijk & Van Loon, 2015). The thesis of this study is that leaders need to create time to think, reflect and discern, on their mind-set and role, creating meaning for themselves and others amidst the complexity, uncertainty and the accelerating forces (Kok & Heuvel, 2019). Grint (2010) and Potter (2015) underline that the adaptive challenges leaders face, ask for a new form of reflective practice (Grint, 2010, Potter, 2015). New demands on leaders, ask for a deeper “attention structure ” for the questions concerning the adaptive challenges (Weber & Glynn, 2006). Kunneman & Suransky (2011) point out the urgency to address ‘slow questions’ because of the moral dilemmas and the existential issues involved, concerning complex and wicked issues at the strategic level. For example, taking decisions in uncertain circumstances. These questions are called ‘slow’, because they cannot be adequately addressed with ‘fast’ technical remedies. The hypothesis we wish to explore is; considering the complex context and adaptive challenges leaders are facing in combination with an accelerating force, there is a growing importance of reflective time and space; addressing slow questions and creating meaningful relations to the world/context they are facing, and others such as, colleagues, followers and stakeholders. https://ssh.datastations.nl/oai doi:10.17026/SS/PG7TBI 2026-03-24T01:00:44Z ddi:codebook:2_5