Ubuntu and the Inner Leader: Reimagining BANI-Era Leadership

Zoliswa Tshetshe

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i04.86691

Ubuntu and the Inner Leader: Reimagining BANI-Era Leadership

Author(s)	Dr. Zoliswa Tshetshe
Country	South Africa
Abstract	Orientation: As organisations move from the VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) world into the vulnerable BANI (Brittleness, Anxiety, Non-linearity and Incomprehensibility) era, established leadership competency models largely built to manage external turbulence are increasingly tested by a different kind of instability; one that is felt internally by leaders before it is seen externally in systems. Research purpose: This study aims to reposition self-leadership as the precondition for leadership effectiveness. The research sought to answer the question, “How can self-leadership be repositioned as a precondition for effective leadership in the BANI era?” Motivation for the study: The impetus for this study lies in the need to understand the contribution of Ubuntu and self-leadership to effective leadership in the BANI era. Research methodology: The study is non-empirical, relying on a review of existing empirical research literature. Insights are also drawn from real-life experiences of individuals, complementing the analysed non-empirical data. Main findings: This study proposes that Ubuntu supplies the ontological ground missing from self-leadership under BANI, operationalised through the ICA framework. It suggests Ubuntu-grounded interventions may strengthen employee connectedness, cultural integration, and collective responsibility. These propositions are offered as a conceptual contribution, consistent with the study's literature-based design. Practical implications and contribution: The study highlighted that leadership development should be reframed around Ubuntu-grounded inner leadership rather than external competency training alone, creating a cultural congruence suited to withstanding BANI pressures in organisations. Inner leadership was positioned as a potentially valuable mechanism for HR and OD practices such as coaching, onboarding, and socialisation under the BANI era.
Keywords	Leadership; BANI; Ubuntu; Identity; Communication; Alignment
Field	Business Administration
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 4, July-August 2026
Published On	2026-08-28
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i04.86691

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Ubuntu and the Inner Leader: Reimagining BANI-Era Leadership

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