BRITISH AIRWAYS: LEADERSHIP IN CHALLENGING CONTEXTS

Abstract

Leadership functions to secure the realisation of a company’s goals, especially in challenging times. Indeed, uncontrollable external forces are a test for senior leadership in regards to their ability to take responsibility for organisational transformation and develop their entrepreneurial mindset of taking risks, finding new ideas, and even making unpopular decisions for the long-term sustainable growth of the company (Hopkins, 2021f). Nowadays, the majority of UK companies have been affected by three major uncontrollable forces: the threat of technological disruptions; Brexit; and the global COVID-19 pandemic. While leaders of British companies have been handling challenges related to rapid technological changes and geo-political formalities caused by Brexit, the pandemic unexpectedly hit the companies’ functionality, forcing senior leadership to make radical decisions in an emergency (Ford, 2016). To provide an investigation of leadership in a challenging context, this report will focus on British Airways, as the company experiences influences of uncontrollable factors from technological disruptions, Brexit, and COVID-19.