LEADERSHIP AUTHENTICITY AND ADAPTIVE CAPACITY IN HIERARCHICAL MILITARY SYSTEMS: A CROSS-LEVEL ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK

This study formulates and rigorously analyzes an integrated analytical framework that clarifies the interrelated dynamics between authentic leadership components and organizational adaptive capacity across hierarchical levels within military institutions. Building on a systematic consolidation of recent empirical evidence, meta-analytical insights, and multilevel organizational theory, the article identifies key mediating variables and contextual conditions that shape how resilience emerges at individual, unit, and institutional command levels. The proposed framework asserts that authentic leadership - anchored in self-awareness, relational openness, balanced cognition, and a deeply internalized moral stance - enhances the resilience of subordinates primarily through mechanisms of organizational identification, while its effectiveness is moderated by psychological flow experiences and environmental pressures. Empirical validation through multilevel structural equation modeling, complemented by comparative assessments of NATO and non-NATO military contexts, yields practical implications for leadership development strategies, multilevel intervention design, and evidence-driven policy formulation. The theoretical advances contribute to a more nuanced understanding of how authentic leadership principles can be systematically implemented across command hierarchies to reinforce adaptive capacity, foster personnel well-being, and optimize mission performance within high-stakes, rapidly evolving operational arenas.