The Leadership Bridging Model: A Perception-Centered Theory of Intergenerational Integration

Contemporary organizations are increasingly shaped by the coexistence of multiple generations operating within shared institutional environments, yet prevailing leadership theories remain insufficient in explaining how such diversity can be transformed into sustained organizational advantage. This paper introduces the Leadership Bridging Model, a theoretical framework developed by Alrohaimi that reconceptualizes intergenerational differences as a structural resource for integrative leadership rather than a source of conflict. The model proposes that leadership effectiveness emerges from the interaction between accumulated experience and adaptive agility, moderated by perceptual misalignment. While generational diversity is known to produce both innovation-enhancing cognitive differences and performance-reducing relational tensions, existing frameworks do not provide a unified mechanism for transforming these opposing dynamics into coherent outcomes. The Leadership Bridging Model addresses this gap by shifting the analytical focus from generational identity to relational perception, positioning leadership as a process of aligning temporal and cognitive differences into integrative action. This work advances a perception-centered paradigm of leadership and offers a scalable conceptual framework for organizations navigating complexity, demographic diversity, and rapid transformation.