Sustainable leadership on a global scale: a bibliographic analysis and the evolution of key concepts

Abstract

The perspective of sustainable leadership is broadly covered in this investigation, which aims to uncover the main topics and the relations among them in the literature. The research underlines the trends and the thematic specifics in sustainable leadership studies through bibliographic analysis and keyword mapping using VOSviewer software. With the focus on the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainable leadership, the article thoroughly gives the exposition of this multidimensional leading paradigm. The results emphasize the efforts of the leaders who develop strategies for economic sustainability, reduce the environmental impacts, and at the same time, improve social welfare. Besides, the study looks into the effects of digital transformation and the COVID-19 pandemic on the practices of sustainable leadership. The focus during the pandemic is on the leaders' crisis management skills, emphasis on the wellness of employees, and ability to strengthen organizational resilience which are discussed in detail. The results throw light on how sustainable leadership practices can effectively impact various areas like strategic management, employees' involvement, and green innovation. Finally, the study not only stresses the sustainable leadership but also the new paths for future research in the field of modern leadership theories.