Evolving Leadership Capabilities in Digitally Transforming Organizations: A Qualitative Study of Senior Managers’ Experiences
Keywords:
digital transformation, digital leadership, leadership capabilities, senior managers, qualitative research, thematic analysis, organizational change, TehranAbstract
This study aimed to explore how senior managers experience, interpret, and develop leadership capabilities during organizational digital transformation. This qualitative study was conducted using a conventional thematic analysis approach. Participants included 24 senior managers working in digitally transforming organizations in Tehran, Iran, who were selected through purposive sampling based on their direct involvement in digital strategy, digital service redesign, process automation, platform adoption, data-driven decision-making, or organizational change initiatives. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews lasting 45 to 75 minutes. Interviews continued until theoretical saturation was reached, meaning that no substantially new concepts emerged from later interviews. All interviews were audio-recorded with participants’ consent, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using NVivo software. Data analysis followed an iterative process of familiarization, open coding, category development, theme refinement, and interpretive integration. Analysis of the interviews led to five main categories of evolving leadership capabilities: strategic digital sensemaking, ambidextrous execution, data-informed decision governance, human-centered change leadership, and ecosystem-oriented learning. Participants described digital transformation as a continuous organizational journey rather than a one-time technological project. Senior managers emphasized that effective digital leadership required translating technological uncertainty into strategic direction, balancing existing operational stability with experimentation, using data without neglecting managerial judgment, reducing employee resistance through trust and participation, and learning across organizational and external boundaries. The findings suggested that leadership capabilities evolved through repeated exposure to uncertainty, cross-functional collaboration, failure-based learning, and ongoing interaction with digital tools, customers, employees, and external partners. The study concludes that leadership capability in digitally transforming organizations is not limited to technical literacy or technology adoption. Rather, it involves a dynamic combination of strategic interpretation, agile execution, ethical data use, emotional and relational competence, and ecosystem learning. Organizations seeking successful digital transformation should therefore invest not only in digital infrastructure but also in leadership development systems that strengthen adaptive, collaborative, and human-centered managerial capabilities.
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