Entrepreneurial Leadership Development

This book offers a pioneering and comprehensive examination of entrepreneurial leadership as an emerging and transformative approach to leadership theory and practice. Moving beyond traditional leadership models that emphasise innate personality traits and end outcomes, the book advances a dynamic, holistic perspective that foregrounds leadership development across diverse and often underexplored organisational contexts, including corporations, higher education institutions, and small and medium-sized enterprises.

Addressing the fragmented nature of existing scholarship, the book consolidates theoretical and empirical perspectives on entrepreneurial leadership, outlining its core attributes, antecedents, and developmental pathways. It adopts a multi-level lens, examining entrepreneurial leadership development at the individual, team, and organisational levels, and proposes practical development strategies such as experiential, reflective, and social learning, leadership development programmes, and digital and e-learning platforms.

A defining strength of the book lies in its integration of theory with practice. It identifies key entrepreneurial leadership capabilities and illustrates their application through practical case studies. The book also critically engages with contemporary challenges, incorporating ethics, contextual diversity, and technological orientation in an AI-driven world. It bridges theory and practice, offers actionable insights, and provides a roadmap for developing entrepreneurial leaders equipped to navigate complexity, uncertainty, and change in the 21st century.

Fida Ahmed is Lecturer in Business and Management at the University of Turbat, Balochistan, Pakistan and Director of the Office of Research, Innovation, and Commercialisation. He has a PhD in leadership and has earned both master’s and undergraduate degrees in business and management. Focused on diverse facets of entrepreneurship and leadership, his research areas encompass entrepreneurial leadership, leadership development, entrepreneurial leadership competencies, business incubation, and the broader field of entrepreneurial leadership development. He delivers lectures and workshops on leadership development, personal branding, and research and AI workflows. He is also deeply committed to community service and founded the Balochistan Emerging Leaders Initiative, an NGO dedicated to developing the capacities of aspiring leaders in the region.

Christian Harrison is Professor of Leadership and Enterprise at the University of Greater Manchester UK and the Director of the Centre for Leadership and Empowerment. He leads the Research and Doctoral College of the Off Campus Division. He is a well-known scholar in leadership, contributing to media outlets like STV, Scotland Tonight, and the Guardian Nigeria. He has authored numerous research papers and books, including the bestselling Leadership Theory and Research: A Critical Approach to New and Existing Paradigms. Christian chairs the Academy for African Studies and a vice chair of the British Academy of Management. He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Certified Management and Business Educator, and a Fellow of the Institute of Business Administration and Knowledge Management. He serves on several editorial boards and panels, and as an external examiner for many UK universities.