ABSTRACT
Japanese organizations treat change as an evolutionary phenomenon to maintain harmony and hierarchical organizational structure. However, in the event of adversity, the hierarchical leader-follower dynamics become fluid as the need for collective intelligence arises. Individuals from all levels are mobilized as a unified community for action. This chapter attempts to offer insights into the role of collective intelligence in activating adaptive and collaborative leadership practices at Japanese universities in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The chapter draws on the personal experiences of the author as well as faculty members from various Japanese universities with an emphasis on collective thinking, adaptive and collaborative response to adversity, and the resulting organization-wide learning process.
