Leadership in the sixth wave—excursions into the new paradigm of the Kondratieff cycle 2010–2050

The paper investigates the concept of leadership and its significance to businesses, societies and individuals in the next 40 years. The underlying framework in the paper is the theory of socio-economic change originally developed by the Russian economist Nikolai Kondratieff. A theory about the long cycles of modern economies and societies, it posits that we are living at the end of the fifth cycle and about to begin a new, the sixth cycle. This emerging new wave of development calls for intelligent use of resources. Leading the human capital of the organization will become a key challenge for the companies as the shift in values demands more attention to the needs of employees. As a result, three key leadership themes are rising: first, how to build a vision that motivates people over profitmaking for the shareholders. Second, how to align business ends with social ends. And third, how to build a learning organization where the usual silos are being torn down. Conclusion: The leadership qualities in demand for the next Kondratieff wave calls management for being socially aware as well as direct, transparent and empowering.