It does not need a PHD in business to unravel the hallmarks of a leaderless organisation. Whether in private and public sectors, the symptoms are similar, easily diagnosable, but sometimes disguisable. By saying leaderless, the organisation is certainly purposeless. The most common things among such organisations are that:

They are a ‘Me Too business’ and a ‘Me Too product’. A copy and paste model from other businesses.  Rarely do their products add real value to people.

Their visions are abstract and clueless statements.

Their recruitment is to hire and fire.

Their communication is manipulative, mechanical and very corporate.

Their employees are always worried about their jobs.

Their marketing is salesy. Upselling is the strategy.

They compete based on lower prices. They are always worried about their competitors.

They view customers as always right which means employees are wrong.

For public sector organisations, their cultures are procedural and their polices are godly and biblical. They are unchallengeable. Creativity causes anxiety and creative people inside are alienated.