Destructive Leadership in Public Crisis Management: Perceptions From Santa Catarina, Brazil, During the COVID‐19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT Although the study of destructive leadership is a growing field, the adverse behaviours of public leaders during crises, such as the COVID‐19 pandemic, remain largely underexplored in academic literature. This study aims to bridge this gap by examining participants' perceptions of destructive leadership behaviours in public crisis management. Using a qualitative case study approach, it explores how the crisis context may have influenced the manifestation of perceived destructive leadership behaviours within public organisations. The research is based on semi‐structured interviews with 27 individuals affected by the pandemic, including public leaders, healthcare professionals, and recovered patients in the context of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil, with participants representing federal, state and municipal levels of government. Given Brazil's vast social disparities and diverse ecosystems, the study explores the alignment between documented destructive leadership behaviours and real‐world cases. The findings indicate that interviewees perceived destructive leadership behaviours among public leaders operating at different levels of government, suggesting that the pressures and uncertainties associated with the pandemic may have influenced these behaviours, without establishing a direct causal relationship. By identifying and categorising perceived destructive leadership behaviours, often detrimental to public trust, effectiveness and resource allocation, this study contributes to the evolving discourse on destructive leadership in crisis scenarios.