Abstract:
This paper reports on a two-pronged qualitative research study that used leaders’ life
stories and the case research method to understand the leadership of change in 14 South
African organizations. We describe how leaders led the changes required to balance
the imperatives emanating from South Africa’s socio-political changes and return the
country to the international business arena, as well as the challenges created by years
of inequality and neglect of the socio-economic development of the majority of its
population. We found that the leaders’ life stories played a significant role in how they
perceived and responded to the change situation. Four themes summarizing the actions
of the leaders – namely, their efforts to embrace change, to provide hope, to connect
change to African values and culture, and to champion diversity – are described. The
results of the study suggest that leaders’ life stories can be an important source of
information about how they perceive, interpret, and respond to change.
