Authors: Maria Dologlou

Title: Courage and meaning in life as important factors for leaders' psychological resilience in times of crisis.

Abstract

Our era is described as a period of intense and successive crises at many levels, such as the recent global economic and health crises we have been through and the climate crisis that has already started to affect us, combined with the 4th industrial revolution, the first steps of which we are in the early stages of, with the expansion of artificial intelligence in the world of business and beyond. In such a challenging and uncharted ever-changing world, the modern leader is called upon to face not only the established challenges in terms of managing change and making the right decisions, but also a storm of events that require the special characteristic of psychological resilience in the face of the difficulties and challenges that constantly stand before him or her. This paper aims to highlight the importance of psychological resilience for contemporary leadership and at the same time to highlight the critical role of the factors of courage and life meaning experienced by leaders in correlation with psychological resilience and as important predictors of it. Through the literature review and empirical study conducted on 153 leaders-supervisors in the public and private sectors, the importance of these factors is highlighted and confirmed and interest for further research is triggered. The method used is quantitative and involves the correlation of the factors (correlation analysis) with an additional emphasis on the predictive power of the factors (regression analysis). The results of the empirical study demonstrate the importance of the factors of courage and life meaningfulness and the key role they play in terms of the psychological resilience of leaders in times of crisis and pave the way for further application and exploration of the findings by the scientific community in the context of positive organizational management. The outcomes of this empirical expedition resonate with resounding clarity. The factors of courage and life meaning emerge as linchpins in the intricate architecture of a leader's psychological resilience, especially when confronted with the crucible of crises. The empirical evidence not only substantiates their centrality but also beckons for the integration of these findings into the broader discourse of positive organizational management, thereby paving an enriched path for practitioners and scholars alike. In the annals of leadership scholarship, this endeavor marks a poignant juncture—a bridge between theoretical contemplation and practical urgency. With every revelation, the call for further exploration resounds, inviting scholars to delve deeper into this uncharted domain. As the baton is passed to the scientific community, the implications of this study ripple across organizations, inviting a new era of enlightened leadership—one fortified by resilience, courage, and a profound sense of life's purpose.