MODERNIZATION OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP AS A CRITICAL FACTOR IN MANAGING AN ORGANIZATION’S DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN AN UNCERTAIN WORLD

The current stage of economic development is characterized by a profound and irreversible digital transformation, which affects not only the technological infrastructure but also the fundamental foundations of organizational management. In this context, the issue of adapting human capital, and especially the leadership system, to new challenges is particularly relevant. Despite an extensive theoretical foundation, classical leadership models often prove insufficient for managing complex organizational changes caused by the introduction of artificial intelligence, cloud technologies, and work in digital ecosystems. Numerous unsuccessful attempts at digitalization in practice indicate not so much technical failures as a crisis of outdated management approaches and corporate culture. Thus, research into the evolution of leadership paradigms in the digital environment is becoming an urgent scientific and practical necessity. The key objective of this article is to analyze the process of modernizing transformational leadership and substantiate its role as a critical, system- forming factor in the successful management of an enterprise’s digital transformation. This paper demonstrates that the effective integration of new technologies is only possible with a corresponding transformation of the “soft” aspects of management–culture, communications, and, most importantly, the role of leadership. To achieve this goal, a number of objectives were consistently addressed. First, the specific demands that digitalization places on management systems in general and leadership in particular were examined, including the need to manage in a VUCA world and coordinate activities across expanded digital ecosystems. Second, the limitations of traditional approaches to leadership in this new context were analyzed. Third, the focus was on a detailed examination of transformational leadership as the most relevant type. This section of the paper analyzes the evolution of its classic parameters–idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and a personalized approach–under the influence of digital realities. Particular attention was paid to new leadership qualities such as digital authenticity and Agile DNA, which are becoming the foundation of a new role model. Finally, fourth, practical conclusions are drawn on how modernized transformational leadership helps overcome resistance to change, increase employee engagement, and create an environment for the successful integration of technological innovations into an organization’s business model. The analysis suggests that digital transformation does not negate, but rather enhances, the importance of transformational leadership, requiring its constant modernization. Leaders become the architects of an environment in which technology unlocks people’s potential rather than replaces it, which is key to the organization’s sustainable development in the digital age.