Navigating Crisis: Resilient Leadership and Spiritual Intelligence in Microenterprises of Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico.

Businesses today operate in a volatile environment. Constant changes create uncertainty and vulnerability. The COVID-19 pandemic and the urban violence in cities like Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico, with criminal groups like cartels, have led entrepreneurs to develop unique leadership characteristics. This research focuses on microenterprise owners who have been in business for over 10 years, have experienced the pandemic, and reside in Celaya. From this perspective, reality is viewed as a socially constructed phenomenon, and analyzing entrepreneurs' narratives allows us to unravel the complex dynamics underlying leadership and business management. In a constantly changing environment, this study examines how external pressures and uncertainty impact the strategic vision of entrepreneurs, particularly during crises. The objective of this research is to understand how the experiences of entrepreneurs in critical contexts influence the type of leadership that emerges in the turbulence faced by service microenterprises in Celaya, Guanajuato. The method is qualitative, employing narrative phenomenology and grounded theory with semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation. Results. The post-pandemic period and the ongoing urban violence in Guanajuato have driven entrepreneurs to learn and change their leadership practices. Microenterprises have dynamics different from large companies, leading microenterprise owners to experience adverse situations and recognize the need for resilient leadership, often involving spiritual intelligence. Spiritual intelligence was found to be a construct that explains how entrepreneurs, despite facing risks, urban violence, and total uncertainty, continue to operate their businesses. Conclusions. Resilient leadership is exercised in combination with multiple intelligences, not only from a rational perspective but also emotional, and in this case, spiritual intelligence serves as a driving force that explains, from a more reflective perspective, the beliefs and faith of individuals in overcoming critical adversities, even in the context of business management.