Internal climate leadership in municipal organizations. How paradoxical and transformational leadership of higher-level management shape climate leadership of lower-level managers

Climate governance is polycentric, involving also cities. We explore the little-known causes of internal climate leadership within municipal organizations by studying the relationship between climate leadership of managers and the general leadership strategies of their higher-level management. Specifically, we examine strategies based on visions (transformational leadership) and strategies giving meaning to tensions between contradictory yet desirable objectives (paradoxical leadership). Survey responses from 367 managers in Aarhus Municipality, Denmark, show that paradoxical leadership of higher-level management predicts climate leadership of their lower-level managers, particularly for managers in departments where the primary mission is less compatible with climate objectives (low climate fit). In contrast, general transformational leadership is only weakly related to climate leadership. Thus, a paradoxical leadership strategy by higher-level management that provides meaning to tensions seems to be more central than vision setting for the exercise of climate leadership in multipurpose municipal organizations.