People-Oriented Leadership: A Qualitative Exploration in Indian Organizations

Many perspectives on leadership have defined it in different ways. A unified understanding of leadership does not yet exist, but every investigation of leadership takes us closer to it. The current study explores and revalidates different ways in which people oriented leadership is expressed in Indian organizations. Data was collected using various methods from 282 leaders during diagnostic studies conducted before a workshop. This data from 11 Indian organizations was subjected to thematic analysis. A total of 5 themes emerged which included Openness, Empowerment, Positive leader attitude, Communication and Teamwork. The obtained findings point to the fact that employees in Indian organizations expect leaders to be people oriented along with having task orientation. Thus, a novel approach of wholesome leadership can be the way forward for future leaders.