Leveraging Entrepreneurial Leadership for SMEs Return on Investment in Plateau State: The Role of Strategic Flexibility

Abstract Notwithstanding their global significance, SMEs still struggle to achieve performance, which is a multifaceted concept that includes social responsibility, financial viability, and environmental stewardship. Entrepreneurial leadership is a significant tool for enhancing organizational adaptability and sustainable performance. This study examined the impact of entrepreneurial leadership on return on investment with strategic flexibility as a moderating variable. A total of 394 copies of questionnaires were distributed and 327 questionnaires were returned and used for analysis. The study adopted Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) as the primary analytical technique. The result showed that ENL has positive and significant effect on ROI. The increasing effect of the interaction term did not significantly change, Strategic flexibility does not significantly moderate the effect of entrepreneurial leadership on SMEs return on investment in Plateau State. The research concluded that SMEs have developed a strong and capable entrepreneurial leadership trait to enhance their performance. But, the SMEs have not strong strategic flexibility to further enhance their performance. The study recommended that developing entrepreneurial leadership skills through innovativeness will result to increasing the return on investment of the business. Thus, there is need for continuous training in the area of leadership.