in Global IT Sector
PEER REVIEWED PAPER
By Reshma Lucos
London, UK
Abstract
The impact of leadership styles on agile project management performance in the global technology industry is investigated in this conceptual study. Agile methods are becoming increasingly well-liked because of their adaptability, rapidity, and customer-centricity. Therefore, effective leadership is essential to the success of agile. The alignment of different leadership philosophies—transformational, transactional, servant, and autocratic—with agile principles and their effects on outcomes such as responsiveness, team performance, and innovation are examined in this article. The study provides a theoretical framework for determining the best leadership philosophies for agile situations by drawing on organizational and leadership theories. Despite the lack of primary data, the study employs Snyder’s (2019) structured narrative literature review methodology and suggests qualitative research for further investigation. Global CEOs could enhance their agility and innovation in dynamic IT environments with the help of the insights that result.
Keywords: Agile Project Management, Leadership Styles, Global IT Teams, Transformational Leadership, Hybrid Leadership Model.
- Introduction
1.1 Background
In the international IT industry, agile project management has become a crucial tactic for managing software development projects. Agile methods, which offer flexibility and iterative delivery, satisfy the modern IT industry’s demands for quick innovation. According to the 15th State of Agile Report (Digital.ai, 2021), approximately 94% of organisations report using Agile approaches demonstrating substantial acceptance rates, according to a recent industry poll. Its widespread adoption is being driven by proven benefits like faster time-to-market, more customer happiness, and more effective teamwork. These advantages enable teams to deliver continuous value and swiftly adjust to changing needs (Amajyuogi et al., 2024). Over the past decade, Agile project management has seen a substantial rise in global adoption, particularly due to its adaptability and responsiveness to change. Recent industry data suggest that methodologies like Scrum are now widely used across teams and have been scaled to organisational levels in many firms (Prakash et al., 2024). Academic research supports these trends, showing that Agile-oriented leadership contributes significantly to outcomes such as trust among team members, improved performance, and increased innovation (Kadenic and Tambo, 2023). Additionally, authentic leadership has been positively linked to strategic alignment and sustainability in Agile-driven organisations (Marnada et al., 2022). These insights highlight a growing need to rethink leadership models that can effectively support the evolving demands of Agile practices—an area this paper seeks to explore through a hybrid conceptual approach. Recent advancements like remote work and digital transformation have further demonstrated the importance of agile in IT. Agile approaches for virtual environments have to evolve because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has accelerated the shift to remote and distributed teams (Shams et al., 2021).
Distributed agile approaches are growing in popularity with the use of digital collaboration tools and adjusted processes. Agile frameworks emphasise agility as a critical element of successful innovation and are also utilised by enterprise digital transformation projects to manage complex, iterative change processes. Leadership is another essential component of Agile project success (Udin, 2025). Strong leadership is required to determine the direction, remove barriers, and foster a flexible culture, even though agile teams are capable of self-organization. Agile adoption is sometimes hampered by a lack of dedicated leadership, but new study indicates that agile leadership improves team effectiveness and innovative outcomes (Zulham & Nurhayati, 2025). Given the significance of leadership, it is imperative to investigate how different leadership philosophies impact Agile project management performance.
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How to cite this work: Lucos, R. (2025). The impact of leadership styles on agile project management in Global IT sector, PM World Journal, Vol. XIV, Issue IX, September. Available online at https://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/pmwj156-Sep2025-Lucos-impact-of-leadership-styles-on-agile-project-management.pdf
About the Author
Reshma Lucos
London, UK
Reshma Lucos is a Lecturer in Business and Computing at the Elizabeth School of London, United Kingdom. She holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering from Kerala, India, and a Master’s in International Business Management from the University of Northampton, UK. With over five years of teaching experience at the undergraduate level in India and nearly one year of experience in UK higher education, she focuses on interdisciplinary curriculum development, digital learning, and emerging technologies in education. Her research interests include agile leadership, artificial intelligence in education, and global project management. She also leads skill enhancement training programs under the IBS UK banner, supporting educators and professionals in their continuous development.
Email: reshma.l@esl.ac.uk, reshmashyam21@gmail.com.
