Emotional Agility as a Future-Ready Leadership Skill: A Critical Review of its Conceptual Foundations and Applicability in the Indian Corporate Sector

In the VUCA age, conventional leadership skills are found to be inadequate to address the emotional as well as adaptive needs of contemporary corporate reality. Emotional agility, a psychological theory based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), has emerged as a future-proofed leadership ability that enables individuals to navigate and process complex emotional experiences with openness, awareness, and alignment of personal and organisational values. In contrast to emotional intelligence, which prioritises regulation and recognition, emotional agility prioritises values-based action, non-reactivity, and emotional acceptance. Global literature is increasingly recognising its application in leadership development, but it is still an under-researched concept in Indian corporate settings. This study provides a critical conceptual overview of emotional agility, tracing its theoretical development, contrasting it with neighbouring constructs such as emotional intelligence and resilience, and examining its implications for organisational leadership. By engaging in a narrative and thematic analysis of peer-reviewed articles, books, and international case studies, the research provides insights into the increasing adoption of emotional agility within Western leadership programmes and its alignment with inclusive, ethical, and psychologically resilient models of leadership. On the other hand, Indian leadership literature still depends on conventional behavioural and emotional intelligence paradigms, with little incorporation of emotional agility as a standalone soft skill. The paper identifies cultural, structural, and pedagogical impediments to its uptake in Indian workplaces while also highlighting emerging opportunities fueled by generational change, digitalisation, and the increasing value placed on mental well-being at work. The research presents pragmatic and evidence-based suggestions for incorporating emotional agility into Indian leadership development and training in the form of context-relevant frameworks, coaching interventions, and curriculum renewal. It also suggests directions for future empirical research to validate its findings, adapt them, and assess their impact within Indian business settings.