The expression  ‘May you live in interesting times’ has never been more relevant as it is now. Globally, we are witnessing and living through a period of history – in a variety of ways – that is unprecedented, uncertain and, at times, surreal. In this respect, ‘interesting’ undersells these times but is nonetheless true. None of us know what is to come, but we do know that what was once normal is no longer such; we are changed as people and as a society. On many levels and in many ways, the world has had to adapt profoundly, and so also must organisations, those who work within and those who interact with them. This presents fundamental challenges for leaders and managers as they explore this new landscape with ever changing – and at times contradictory – guidance to understand and implement. No organisation or sector is unaffected, and leaders and managers have reacted and coped differently. There are important learnings to be taken from what leaders and managers have done to date, what they plan to do and what they wished they did differently. Making decisions and choices with incomplete information is typically the remit of leaders and managers, but there are few reference points to assist here. So, how do they do it and how can such experiences be applied to different contexts?

On the receiving end of this ‘new’ leadership and management are the stakeholders – employees, investors, suppliers, customers, the public to name a few – and it is critical to understand their perspectives, their needs, their fears and their uncertainties. How can these stakeholders help in making these decisions and is there now a requirement for a more collective, collaborative effort? Indeed, what are the implications for competition between organisations – do they battle with each other for a share of an uncertain and heavily depleted pie or unite in some way against a common threat to preserve their joint futures and that of their sector? Are we seeing the beginnings of a new economic and social model, or temporary and reversible reactions? As researchers, we need to study leaders and managers – both those who succeed and those who do not – and their organisations in order to learn from them. If we can accept that we will be living in interesting times – in whatever shape – for many years to come, this is critically important and of social, professional and academic value.