Dynamic Architecture of Leadership Capabilities in the Context of Women’s Leadership Development

Static assessments of capabilities have shaped women’s leadership studies, which have limited our understanding of how these capabilities interact and evolve over time. From a dynamic perspective, this article examines whether the capabilities identified as priorities through expert judgment also function as leverage points within the leadership development system. We developed a System Dynamics model whose components were based on results previously obtained using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) based on the judgment of 20 executives. We evaluated the model through scenario simulations and global sensitivity analysis using Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) and Partial Rank Correlation Coefficient (PRCC). Leadership development appears to depend on interdependent capabilities, rather than on personal characteristics in isolation. Simulations of the proposed model suggest that static priority and dynamic leverage are not equivalent: the influence of a capability depends on its position in the feedback structure, its interactions with other capabilities, and the timing of intervention. This study helps explain how capabilities mutually reinforce, limit, and amplify one another over time, providing a systemic foundation for designing interventions to develop women’s leadership.