Leadership studies—A Scandinavian inspired way forward?

This paper highlights three important problems characterizing much of current leadership studies: the hegemonic ambiguity problem, the idyllic problem, and the methodological problem(s). I suggest three broad routes forward – taking the concept, the ideological aspects, and the epistemic challenges more seriously - which in various ways address, and in best case mitigate, the three problems. Recognising that this is an on-going, global debate within leadership studies with many distinguished non-Scandinavian scholars taking part, I highlight some interesting, important, and rather recent Scandinavian/Nordic voices and new thinking that in various ways bring hope and suggest possible ways forward.