Inquiring leadership potential among young Indian adults through qualitative analysis using natural language processing

Early childhood experiences play a critical role in shaping and developing leadership in adulthood. Looking around us, we find teen leaders all around who eventually go on to bring meaningful change around them. Studies on leadership have been going on for decades. However, most of the research has emphasized on adult leadership behavior, thereby ignoring the leadership potential in young adults. We investigated perceived leadership markers among young adults in India, aged 18–29 years, at various educational levels through a qualitative study to establish a foundational understanding of leadership-related characteristics as perceived by this demographic, which can be cultivated and developed for future leadership roles. There were 32 participants who were subjected to semi-structured interviews involving critical incident techniques, and the data were analyzed using the content analysis method. Following the content analysis of the subject’s responses, we also employed the Natural Language Processing technique, specifically Topic Modelling, to analyze transcripts from interviews conducted. A total of eight primary markers were identified by content analysis and Natural Language Processing, which were clubbed together under three prominent themes: interpersonal competence, intrapersonal competence, and communication skills. While the study does not establish predictive claims about leadership emergence, it offers early insights into how young adults conceptualize leadership behaviors and traits. The findings offer culturally grounded insights that may inform early developmental frameworks for leadership and may be integrated into existing leadership training initiatives in educational settings.