@misc{9233752,
  abstract     = {{Title: The Contradictory Ideals of Leadership - Navigating the Tension Between Ideal Leadership Qualities
Seminar date: June 4, 2026
Course: FEKH49, Bachelor’s degree thesis in Management and Organization, 15 Credits.
Authors: Claudia Andersson, Ida Kjernholm & Siri Roth
Supervisor: Stefan Sveningsson
Keywords: Leadership, relational leadership, leadership ideals, tension management, situational leadership, paradox perspective
Research question: How is leadership constructed in practice through the tension between contradictory leadership ideals?
Purpose of study: This study aims to analyze how leadership is constructed in practice through the tensions that arise when ideal leadership qualities are set against each other, and to contribute a nuanced understanding of leadership as a dynamic and relational process.
Methodology: The study has a qualitative research approach and an inductive theoretical starting point. The empirical material consists of eight semi-structured interviews with four managers and four employees within a company. Rennstam and Wästerfors (2015) framework involving the steps of sorting, reduction, and argumentation was used throughout the analysis.
Theoretical perspective: The literature review addresses leadership as a field of research, relational leadership, and the tensions between proximity and distance, clarity and flexibility, as well as control and adaptation. Leadership is also discussed as a process of managing tensions. These perspectives provide the foundation for understanding how leadership is constructed in practice through the management of competing leadership ideals.
Result: The empirical findings demonstrate how managers and employees conceptualize leadership through the navigation of conflicting ideals, thereby constructing leadership as a process of tension management.
Conclusion: This section presents the study's conclusions, grounded in the view that leadership should be understood as a relational process rather than a collection of fixed traits.}},
  author       = {{Roth, Siri and Andersson, Claudia and Kjernholm, Ida}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Ledarskapets motsägelsefulla ideal}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}