Studying subtle acts of leadership

Abstract

In this article, a research team studied acts of leadership in order to explore the phenomenon. It is argued that leadership in organisations is a social process, which may be understood as a series of interaction processes where someone assumes leadership by taking and earning a right to lead. We conclude that the dynamics of processes leading to unstable or uncertain situations in organisations create a need for leadership and provide the context for leadership, and that acts of taking leadership are a function of a time-limited right to lead granted to those assuming leadership by those who choose to follow, and we imply that willpower may be an important vehicle in such acts. Finally, we argue that there is a tendency to oversell the very idea of leadership, as acts of leadership, when practised in accordance with its definitions, are far more rare, subtle and fragile than frequently suggested by popular theories and concepts.