Adaptive leadership capacity in extreme contexts : the experience of public-sector leaders in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Leadership practice in extreme contexts requires adaptation. There is a paucity of literature on leadership in prolonged extreme contexts such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study intended to contribute to the understanding of leadership adaptation in extreme contexts aimed at building future leadership capability. Adaptive leadership theory has recently been recognised as an appropriate theoretical framework for leaders in extreme contexts, this study seeks to contribute to the nascent body of extreme context literature as it intersects with adaptive leadership theory. This quantitative research explored the perceptions of public-sector leaders in South Africa of how they have adapted their leadership practices in the extreme context. Key themes fundamental to the adaptation of leadership practice identified by leaders are aligned with key constructs of adaptive leadership theory and include the process of analysis for adaptation together with the realisation of the importance of decisive decision-making. The research reviewed factors that enabled and constrained the adaptation of leadership practice. The themes enabling the adaptation included having well-grounded leadership social-emotional competence and the strengthening of collaborative networks. There was an appreciation of the extreme context being an experiential learning opportunity not only for the leaders’ adaptation, but also for team development. The understanding of political nuances was perceived as both enabling and constraining. A theme that constrained adaptation was the multiple resource limitations which is understated in extreme context literature. The findings of this research contribute to the nascent body of extreme context literature and builds on adaptive leadership theory for local contexts.