FOSTERING INNOVATION AND CHANGE THROUGH LEARNING CULTURE LEADERSHIP: A CASE OF KENYA COMMERCIAL BANK (KCB) OF KENYA
Abstract
Statement of the Problem: Fostering innovation is imperative for banks to remain competitive, yet achieving this pose leadership challenges.
Purpose of the Study: This study investigated leadership's role in enabling a culture of innovation in banking, focusing on KCB Kenya. It looked at the specific leadership strategies and behaviors needed to nurture cultures that embrace creativity and change.
Methodology: The study employed an extensive literature review examining innovation drivers in banking, leadership theories like transformational leadership, frameworks for assessing innovation capabilities, and bank case studies.
Findings of the Study: Leadership plays a multifaceted innovation role spanning technology adoption, encouraging ideation, fostering experimentation and adaptability, facilitating collaborative problem-solving, and embedding continuous learning. Gaps were identified regarding perspectives on distinguishing competencies of transformational innovation leaders and quantifying leadership impact on bank innovation outcomes. Opportunities for further research were noted into how varying leadership styles correlate to innovation performance. Situational, distributed, and responsible innovation leadership warrant more exploration.
Conclusion: For KCB Kenya's context, leadership development is crucial to promote the skills and mindsets needed to balance efficiency with agility during digital transformation. Human-centric leadership that empowers experimentation across organizational levels is essential to nurture a culture where creativity and inclusion can thrive even amidst inertia and uncertainty. Leadership is indispensable in shaping institutional environments where employees feel motivated to ideate, experiment, and drive innovation aligned to evolving customer needs.
Keywords: Fostering Innovation and Change, Learning, Culture Leadership, KCB of Kenya
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