Leadership in uncertain times and economic transformations

Abstract

The relevance of the study is due to the growing importance of leadership competencies in times of crisis, high uncertainty, and continuous transformations characteristic of transitional economies. In such environments, organizations face heightened uncertainty, making the search for effective management strategies essential for ensuring sustainability, resilience, and innovative development. The purpose of the study is to identify key leadership competencies and to characterize their influence on organizational development in transitional economic contexts. The object of the research is the management practices of middle and top managers of Ukrainian enterprises. The methodology is based on a survey of 186 respondents conducted in a mixed online and offline format using an author-developed structured questionnaire that incorporated adapted items from validated scales. The instrument assessed emotional intelligence, communicative tolerance, adaptability, and strategic thinking. The study employed a renewable longitudinal panel design involving repeated waves of data collection and partial renewal of the sample composition during 2022–2024. The results demonstrate that emotional intelligence and adaptability represent the strongest competencies of Ukrainian managers, supporting high motivation levels and rapid responses to emerging challenges. In contrast, communicative tolerance and strategic thinking were less developed and require targeted improvement. Adaptability (+8.29% over 2022–2024) showed the greatest growth, indicating an increased ability to change. Communicative tolerance grew the least (+4.27% over 2022–2024), indicating the need to develop dialogue and openness to different views.