The challenges of leadership in the modern world: Introduction to the special issue.

This article surveys contemporary trends in leadership theory as well as its current status and the social context that has shaped the contours of leadership studies and asserts that without exemplary leadership, solving the problems stemming from the first 3 threats will be impossible.

Abstract

This article surveys contemporary trends in leadership theory as well as its current status and the social context that has shaped the contours of leadership studies. Emphasis is placed on the urgent need for collaboration among social-neuro-cognitive scientists in order to achieve an integrated theory, and the author points to promising leads for accomplishing this. He also asserts that the 4 major threats to world stability are a nuclear/biological catastrophe, a world-wide pandemic, tribalism, and the leadership of human institutions. Without exemplary leadership, solving the problems stemming from the first 3 threats will be impossible.