Desirable Leadership: A Qualitative Study of the Perspectives of Young Adults in the Swedish Retail Sector

Entering the labour market and conforming to the authority relations that characterize wage labour are central parts of becoming an adult. The aim of this qualitative study is to analyse desirable leadership from the perspective of young adult employees in the retail sector. Informants were asked to define what they view as leadership and describe what they desire leadership to be like. Interviews with 13 young adults (aged 18–28) in the Swedish retail sector, analysed with qualitative content analysis, revealed that desirable leadership meant participation and equal influence. This included the formal exercise of authority, provided that the authority considered the integrity and views of all subordinates. At the same time, leadership based on formal authority was desired. Two themes were identified as desired: leadership through cooperation, democracy and respect; and leadership through competence, command and objective feedback, summarized under the overarching theme of leadership based on professional competence and respect for individuals’ integrity.