Mapping the transitional experience of switching leadership roles

Purpose – This study proposes that executives need to be prepared to switch roles and membership of groups in order to fulfil their leadership responsibilities effectively. Design/methodology/approach – A validated framework provides insight into the leadership roles that executives can switch between as they move from one formal, informal or temporary group to the next within the organisation's wider senior management team. The methodology adopted is qualitative, focusing on inquiry‐based learning which enabled the authors to gather data on those aspects of context that relate specifically to the leadership roles executives switch between. Findings – Changing role is found to facilitate improvement in each executive's decision‐making effectiveness and, over time, in the decision‐making capability of an organisation's wider senior management team. Research limitations/implications – A one‐organisation intensive case study of a multinational engineering company engaged in the design, development and manufacture of rotating turbomachinery provides the platform for the research. The concepts advanced will require validating in other organisations of both similar and different demographic profiles. Practical implications – The concepts advanced, and implications discussed, provide an insight into the nature of leadership as a network of relationships. The practical steps individual executives can take to develop their ability to adopt different leadership roles are highlighted. Originality/value – This paper attempts to assist executives within the wider senior management team to better adapt and coordinate their behaviour with other executives. In so doing, it is suggested that executives contribute more positively to the organisational decision‐making processes and wider senior management team interaction by being adaptive and responsive to changes in their surrounding context.