Cultural nuances in leadership: development and validation of a multi-factor leadership potential scale for young Indian adults

Most leadership research has focused on adult leadership behaviour, neglecting early life experiences and other factors influencing personality development and the emergence of leadership potential, which form the precursor of future leadership behaviour. This study addresses the gap by developing and validating a psychometric assessment tool of leadership potential among young adults within the social and cultural fabric of the Indian subcontinent. Conducted across four studies with Indian adults aged 18–28 years from universities and multinational organizations, the research followed a systematic process. Study 1 involved literature review and semistructured interviews for factor extraction and item development. Study 2 established factor structure through exploratory factor analysis, while study 3 validated it using confirmatory factor analysis. Study 4 assessed psychometric properties by looking at convergent validity, divergent validity, and test-retest reliability. Results confirm the tool as a dependable measure, ready for further validation in a known-groups design.