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Whether strategic leadership retains real value for firm performance has long been contested, and the debate has often outrun the evidence in sectors far from the manufacturing and service settings where the construct was first tested. This study revisits Upper Echelons Theory and asks whether strategic leadership matters for the performance of poultry firms in an emerging economy. It examined the nineteen registered poultry firms in Nairobi City County, Kenya, a value chain marked by declining output, rising import competition and volatile input costs. Anchored on Upper Echelons Theory, and complemented by Strategic Leadership Theory and the Resource-Based View, the study measured strategic leadership as an integrated four-dimension construct comprising setting strategic direction, building core competencies, building organizational culture and networking, and examined the association between each dimension and firm performance. All nineteen firms were taken as a census, and a proportionate stratified random sample of 209 managers was drawn from their top echelon and business unit ranks; 200 returned usable questionnaires, a response rate of 95.69%, with Cronbach's alpha clearing the 0.7 threshold on every scale (0.761 to 0.902). The firms reported a high level of strategic leadership practice (M=3.99; SD=1.088) and a slightly lower level of performance (M=3.83; SD=0.779). Multiple linear regression showed that the four dimensions jointly explained 72.5% of the variance in managers' reported firm performance (Adjusted R²=.725; F significant at p < .001). Each dimension contributed a positive and significant effect: networking (B=.282), setting strategic direction (B=.246), building core competencies (B=.243) and building organizational culture (B=.204), all at p≤0.05. The results indicate that, far from being overwhelmed by a turbulent agribusiness environment, strategic leadership practices are strongly and consistently associated with performance in it. The study extends an upper-echelons perspective to emerging-economy agribusiness, demonstrates the value of measuring strategic leadership as a consolidated four-dimension whole, and advises boards and managers of poultry firms to treat clear strategic direction, competence renewal, adaptive culture and value chain networks as investments that shape revenue rather than as overhead.

This study investigates the influence of strategic leadership components on the performance of financial multinational companies listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) in Kenya. Specifically, it examines the effects of strategic controls, organizational capabilities, visionary leadership, and organizational change management on performance outcomes, measured through profitability and branch expansion. Employing a descriptive research design, the study targeted 14 listed commercial banks and 250 middle-level managers across marketing, relationship, and finance departments. A sample of 154 respondents was selected using stratified random sampling and the Taro Yamane formula. Data were collected via structured questionnaires incorporating five-point Likert scales and administered both electronically and through the drop-and-pick method. Analysis was conducted using SPSS, applying both descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings reveal that all four strategic leadership components significantly impact organizational performance, with organizational change management exerting the strongest influence. The study concludes that strategic leadership is pivotal for sustaining competitiveness and growth in Kenya’s financial sector. It recommends enhancing strategic reviews, fostering innovation and business intelligence, articulating clear organizational visions, and promoting adaptability, effective communication, and employee engagement to drive performance improvements.

The paper reports empirical findings drawn from a study undertaken to understand the dimensions of strategic leadership deployed among flower farms and the benefits that the flower farms have derived from deployment of strategic leadership. The context was selected due to its significance in contributing to the national economy and the level of turbulence experienced by the farms that requires a leadership style entrenching strategic thinking. 43 flower farms were sampled and primary data obtained using a structured questionnaire from CEOs, Deputy CEOs and heads of functional areas. Two dimensions of strategic leadership have been deployed to a low extent while two have been implemented to a moderate extent. The deployed dimensions of strategic leadership have significantly contributed to the flower farms performance by enhancing their capacity to attain growth at the rate of 15-20%. The study concluded that strategic leadership is relevant for deployment by the flower farms and raised implications for its deployment among organizations facing complex and turbulent environments. The paper called on future research to consider expanding the scope of the context of the investigation and conceptualization of the dimensions of strategic leadership based on other relevant theoretical frameworks anchoring strategic leadership.

The study responded to calls to extend the current understanding of servant leadership into new contexts. The selected context for investigation was the nonprofit sector in Kenya. Three objectives guided the study that sought to establish the servant leadership dimensions adopted, the impact achieved in the target communities and the effect of the dimensions on the level of impact achieved. 365 senior managers were sampled from 73 nonprofit organizations and data was collected on both dimensions of servant leadership and perceived impact in the communities served by the organizations. The study reports that ten attributes of servant leadership are relevant to the sector and are practiced to a moderate extent and this extent of adoption has accomplished a moderate level of impact in the communities served. Four tenets of servant leadership, holistic approach to work, service to others, sense of community and uprightness have a significant effect on the level of impact achieved in the communities. While a holistic approach and service to others have a negative effect, a sense of community and uprightness have a positive effect. The findings raise implications for the servant leadership theory and point to the need to complement its dimensions with the postulates of the situational leadership theory for a more appropriate application in work situations. The findings contribute toward addressing conceptual, theoretical, and empirical gaps found in the extant literature on servant leadership.