Indirect leadership in a military context: a qualitative study on how to do it

Purpose – To develop a theoretical understanding of how indirect leadership is done in a military context. Design/methodology/approach – A grounded theory approach was used. Twenty‐two high‐level Swedish commanders, and six of their subordinates were interviewed. Findings – A model was developed which suggests that indirect leadership can be understood as consisting of two simultaneous processes. One is action‐oriented and consists of interacting with a link (usually a small group of directly subordinate managers) which passes the messages down to lower organisational levels. The other influence process is image‐oriented and consists of being a role model. Both processes are filtered through a “lens” which consists of the relative impact of a safety culture on the activities. In the favourable case, the employees at the lower levels trust both the link and the higher management. This appears to be a necessary condition for commitment and active participation. In the unfavourable case, there is a lack of trust. This breeds redefinitions of the messages and a necessity for relying on reward and punishment to obtain obedience. Research limitations/implications – Lack of representativeness, indirect influence from lower to higher levels, as well as possible gender‐related aspects, not studied. Practical implications – The suggested model may be a valuable tool in higher management education. Originality/value – The identification of two co‐occurring pathways of influence.