Leadership dynamics among directors: a qualitative inquiry into shared leadership in the boardroom

Abstract

While it is generally acknowledged that leadership is important for both group and organizational performance, in the context of the board of directors it is a relatively unexplored phenomenon. To address this gap in research, this study aims to go beyond board leadership structure and focus on actual leadership behaviours and processes within the boardroom. Specifically, this paper presents the results of an in-depth qualitative case study inquiring into how and why shared leadership is portrayed among directors. Employing a pattern matching logic, the empirical study allowed us to expand and deepen the relatively nascent theory concerning shared leadership in the boardroom in several ways, thereby contributing to the sparse knowledge of actual leadership dynamics taking place among directors. At the same time, our study also provides practioners with an insightful case-based account of a form of leadership among directors that has been shown to enhance group task performance.