Leadership in organizations: Looking ahead to the 21st century

The paper highlights four major changes in the corporate environment that pose future challenges for Canadian organizations. It is argued that in order to meet these challenges, organizations need to develop adaptive capabilities. Specific leadership strategies necessary for developing such capabilities are identified. A brief review of extant leadership theories suggests that for developing adaptive capabilities, Canadian organizations would benefit most from charismatic/transformational leadership of their executives. An agenda for future research is outlined by drawing attention to a number of emerging trends in leadership research that could have significant impact on management practice in the 21st century.