Intelligent leadership and leadership competencies : developing a leadership framework for intelligent organizations

TLDR: In this article, the authors developed a leadership framework for intelligent organizations by analyzing the future working environment of managers, leadership as a phenomenon and as a process and leadership competencies, and how leadership is typically learned and trained and how we could improve these activities.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to develop a leadership framework for intelligent organizations. This was done by analyzing the future working environment of managers, leadership as a phenomenon and as a process and leadership competencies. How leadership is typically learned and trained and how we could improve these activities, was also studied. One of the contentions of this thesis is that as the world is shifting from an industrial paradigm to a post-industrial paradigm, it is necessary that we understand the consequences of this shift vis-a-vis leadership culture and practice. In my study I have tried to apply a methodological approach, which I have termed as “science by doing”. It can be seen as belonging to a certain school of action research. In this approach, I have tried to combine a practical approach and a scientific approach. Moreover, through practical followup management development projects the idea has been to create new, personally experienced, tested and interpreted knowledge. This orientation is underpinned by a balance between direct personal experience and indirect intellectual abstraction. It is an approach that goes beyond fragmented theories and that could possibly point a way towards a new school of leadership. I have used the research design with three layers: 1. personal skill map research; 2. leadership development in practice; and 3. the new framework for leadership. 1. The objective of personal skill map research was to apply and develop the method of analyzing and developing personal key skills. Personal key skills (e.g. decision making and stress management) are that kind of general skills (altogether 14 skills), which we need to be effective and to create a sense of well-being in our normal life. This research was my licentiate dissertation and has formed an important basis for this research in which I have continued the same theme but focused on leadership competencies. 2. Leadership development in practice means that I have documented five case studies concerning management development at Kone and Nokia during the nineties. All these cases are different kind of leadership development projects which give us a lot of practical experience about our topic. 3. The main purpose of this research has been to define the new framework for leadership. This has been done on the basis of my own experiences and extensive theoretical research in which I have tried to go through all the relevant leadership theories. I have grouped those