Hjältar eller Lejdare? : En studie om ledarskapsideal och ledarskap i praktiken

Sammanfattning: Most people have a sense or understanding of leadership, this regardless if it is personallyexperienced or taught. A lot of former leadership research is focused on the leader, its attributes and functionality. From this perspective the successful leader is considered to have abilities that makes he or she someone special and extraordinary – a hero. However, a branch of more recent research takes a critical approach to this view. This critical perspective assumes that leadership is influenced and affected by other phenomena than just a strong leader. These phenomena can possibly be described as ideological or institutional. This paper aimes to critically analyze and problematize general assumptions and ideas about leadership.The study is based on interviews with six leaders from different businesses consisting of open-mindedly formulated questions about leadership. Among them are questions of the role of the leader and if there is a difference between being a leader and to excersise leadership. Also how they obtained the knowledge they possess about leadership. The study shows that people who are in a situation of leadership tend to describe it in relation to different types of leaders. These types of leaders seem to be categorizied as belonging to different generations and to them supposed ideals. The study also shows that there is a mutual dependence between leaders and followers, increasingly founded on cooperation and thereby acceptance and equality.