Title: Parsing the 'influential increment' in the language of complexity: uncovering the systemic mechanisms of leadership influence

Authors: James K. Hazy

Addresses: School of Business, Adelphi University, 1 South Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530, USA

Abstract: This article develops theory relating the process of leadership to the social processes that sustain an organisation as a complex adaptive system. It interprets current theory in a new light and describes dynamical interactions that relate mechanisms of leadership to the organisational capabilities that have succeeded in the environment. It examines how three distinct but complementary mechanisms interact to form a leadership metacapability that evolves in organisations to positively impact both performance and adaptation.

Keywords: dynamic capabilities; systems thinking; exploitation; generative leadership; complex systems; innovation; influential increments; systemic mechanisms; leadership influence; social processes; adaptive systems; dynamical interactions; organisational capabilities; complementary mechanisms; leadership metacapability; positive impacts; performance; adaptation; complexity; management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCLM.2011.040735

International Journal of Complexity in Leadership and Management, 2011 Vol.1 No.2, pp.164 - 191

Published online: 22 Oct 2014 *

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