The interplay of heroic and post-heroic leadership: Exploring tensions in leadership manifestations in the oscillations between onstage and offstage contexts

摘要

This paper strives to extend knowledge about tensions in heroic and post-heroic leadership. Previous studies have focused on one overarching context rather than explained how these tensions interplay in diverse contextual circumstances. This paper adopts a Goffmanian perspective and explores the tensions between heroic and post-heroic leadership in onstage and offstage contexts. By drawing on semi-structured interviews and an ethnographic observation of ice hockey teams, the paper proposes three dynamics by which these tensions are manifested in offstage and onstage contexts, namely: 'Coaching over-the-others', 'Starring up-to-the-others', and 'Doing self in-the-others'. The paper concludes by discussing the importance of looking at the dynamics by which tensions between heroic and post-heroic leadership are manifested in multiple circumstances of team leadership.