Circular economy leadership for sustainable industrial transformation: A Holistic framework for resilient and resource-efficient growth

The transition to a Circular Economy (CE) has become essential for achieving long-term sustainability, resource efficiency, and climate resilience across global industries. However, despite increasing recognition, CE adoption remains limited due to technological, managerial, and cultural barriers. This study investigates the critical role of leadership in accelerating circular transformation and proposes a comprehensive Circular Economy Leadership Framework (CELF) that integrates strategic vision, innovation capability, organizational culture, and stakeholder collaboration. Through an integrative literature review and conceptual analysis, the paper demonstrates how leadership acts as the driving force behind circular strategies such as closed-loop supply chains, waste valorization, digitalization, and sustainable product-service systems. The proposed framework highlights key enablers, including systems thinking, digital transformation, human-centric leadership, and multi-stakeholder governance. This research contributes a novel perspective by positioning leadership as the central mechanism for operationalizing circular principles, offering practical guidelines for policymakers, industry leaders, and sustainability practitioners.