Toward a Theory of Convergent Leadership: Public-Private Value Alignment under Uncertainty

Contemporary organizations operate under conditions of increasing collective uncertainty accompanied by a measurable decline in institutional trust. Recent evidence from the Edelman Trust Barometer reveals a growing crisis of stakeholder interests' alignment: 61% of respondents believe that government and business serve narrow interests rather than the public good; 60% report economic grievance and institutional distrust, and nearly 70% believe that societal leaders intentionally mislead the public. These findings suggest a widening gap among the interests of governments, businesses, and society, highlighting the need for new leadership frameworks that can synchronize competing stakeholder interests. This paper analyses the inherent contradictions among market stakeholders arising from the very nature of their interests. Through conceptual synthesis of utilitarian philosophy, stakeholder theory, and moral philosophy, the paper introduces a new academic framework for organizational leadership- the Theory of Convergent Leadership. By its very nature, Convergent Leadership aims to reconcile opposing stakeholder interests and provide the greatest benefit to the majority. It creates norms and rules for the public and private sectors and serves as each other's mutual constraints in favor of the majority- society and its long term future. The concept of a theory is grounded in the utilitarian philosophy of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, the stakeholder philosophy of Edward Freeman, and the moral philosophy of Michael Sandel. The paper argues that this framework is particularly relevant to emerging economies, where institutional trust is rising, in contrast to declining trends in developed nations. Implications are discussed for organizational governance, public-private partnership, and leadership development under conditions of socioeconomic polarization.