Leadership Agility and Entrepreneurial Resilience among Small and MediumSized Enterprises (SMES)
Leadership Agility and Entrepreneurial Resilience among Small and MediumSized Enterprises (SMES)

Summary/Abstract: This study examines the influence of leadership agility on entrepreneurial resilience among Nigerian SMEs. The study employed a descriptive survey design involving 294 SME owners and managers from 1,842 registered SMEs in Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria, selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using structured questionnaires measured on a five-point Likert scale, focusing on four dimensions of leadership agility: challenge framing, uncertainty absorbing, path clearing, and commitment building. The findings reveal that all four dimensions demonstrated statistically significant positive influences on entrepreneurial resilience: path clearing emerged as the most influential factor (β = 0.312, p < 0.001), followed by challenge framing (β = 0.247, p < 0.001), commitment building (β = 0.203, p = 0.001), and uncertainty absorbing (β = 0.184, p = 0.004). The ANOVA results confirmed the overall model significance (F = 47.338, p < 0.001), leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis. The study concluded that leadership agility has a significant positive influence on entrepreneurial resilience among Nigerian SMEs, demonstrating that all four dimensions (path clearing, challenge framing, commitment building, and uncertainty absorbing) collectively serve as critical determinants of organisational adaptability and survival in volatile business environments. Hence, the study recommended that Nigerian SME leaders should prioritise developing path clearing competencies as their foremost focus while simultaneously strengthening challenge framing, commitment building, and uncertainty absorption skills. Additionally, business development organisations should design comprehensive leadership development programs that address all four leadership agility dimensions through practical exercises, case studies, and context-specific training materials tailored to the Nigerian SME environment.

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