A better, human-centered path forward

The main purpose of the paper is to highlight the increased recognition and growing importance of human-oriented leadership in a constantly changing world. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed many management shortcomings in developing current and future leaders. The difficulties creating new business models, adapting to new working environments, and fostering humane corporate cultures underscore the short- and long-term challenges. The literature review offers multiple perspectives on our humanity and its inherent challenges, measures of effective leadership, approaches to leadership development, and what seems to be emerging as a values-based, human-centered approach to what effective leadership looks like. The paper suggests a holistic interdisciplinary approach aiming to support partnership between the international business community and academic environment. The methods include: a literature review as background and context; a case study; a comparative analysis of best practices in four countries; and a statistical analysis of economic practices in Romania. The main results indicate: an increased acknowledgment of human-centered leadership practices as essential to effective leadership; the use of a 70-20-10 model of leadership development as a best practices approach; and the adverse effects of the pandemic on the Romanian economy. Our conclusions reaffirm: the power of the human-centered approach to how leaders have to perform; the need to rethink how leadership development should be done, and the ongoing challenge of choosing to invest in leadership as a sound business decision. Authors conclude that the changes in mindset, priorities, decisions, and practices will be challenging for leaders to make. Suggestions are offered about this new path.