Positive leadership development and leadership types in Finnish leaders’ narratives

This study focused on Finnish leaders who participated in a training program called “Positive Leadership Training”. The purpose of this study was to enhance the general understanding regarding the emergence of positive leadership in leaders, as they themselves described. A narrative research approach was chosen, and the data were collected from leaders’ diaries (N = 12) that they maintained and updated during the training program. The analysis of narratives and narrative analysis were conducted. The analysis of the narratives was divided into four categories, each representing the way leaders described the emergence and development of their positive leadership. While some leaders described strong empowerment, others seemed to be searching for their own identities as positive leaders. Furthermore, leaders also described positive leadership in terms of action, and deliberation and courage were the core categories in their leadership narratives. The narrative analysis revealed the following four leadership types: humane thinker, enthusiastic developer, courageous experimentalist, and identity worker, typifying the variations between empowered and emerging leadership narratives and between prudence and the active execution of leadership. The results highlighted the role of authenticity in leadership development and the benefits of positive leadership training for leaders with different backgrounds.