Research on leadership development conceptualizes metamorphosis as a deep, qualitative shift rather than incremental skill acquisition. Unlike competency-based models that prioritize technical proficiency, leadership metamorphosis involves reorienting how leaders interpret complexity, exercise influence, and enact responsibility. Studies grounded in adult development theory suggest that leaders progress through increasingly complex ways of knowing, enabling them to tolerate ambiguity, integrate multiple perspectives, and respond ethically to competing demands (Day et al., 2023).