Published Online:September 2026
Product Name:The IUP Journal of Effective Executive
Product Type:Article
Product Code:IJEE010926
DOI:10.71329/EffectiveExecutive/2026.29.3.5-15
Author Name:Agnes Eva Lammel and Stephanie Jones
Availability:YES
Subject/Domain:Management
Download Format:PDF
Pages:5-15
This study explores how emotional competencies contribute to adaptive leadership in dynamic organizational environments, by comparing leaders’ self-perceptions with team members’ experiences. A qualitative multiple-case study was conducted across seven leaders within large Hungarian organizations. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to examine patterns. Leaders generally perceived themselves as emotionally competent, particularly regarding communication and emotional self-regulation during periods of uncertainty. Team members largely confirmed these strengths but evaluated leadership primarily through observable behaviors rather than leader intentions. Communication, transparency, and emotional availability emerged as critical mechanisms shaping trust and adaptive capacity. The study further found that emotionally-competent leadership alone was insufficient to ensure effective adaptive leadership. This study demonstrates that adaptive leadership effectiveness is coconstructed through leader behavior, follower interpretation, and organizational context.
It has been observed that stronger emotional competencies in leaders of dynamic organizations appear to support both individual effectiveness and a greater sense of team cohesion.