Abstract
Despite growing interest in authentic leadership, theoretical advancements have stagnated, particularly about how it is enacted in non-Western and institutionally complex environments. This study addresses this gap by examining the lived experiences of authentic leaders operating within Nigeria, a developing economy context. Drawing on qualitative data, the study explores how leaders reconcile their values with the paradoxes and institutional pressures embedded in their leadership contexts.
Findings reveal that authentic leadership in such settings is not underpinned by consistent relational transparency but by the strategic management of tensions between personal convictions and contextual constraints. Leaders in this study described authentic leadership as a practice of resilience, requiring them to manage conflicts between individual morality and organisational realities while sustaining their integrity. These insights challenge prevailing dimensions of authentic leadership, particularly relational transparency and balanced processing, by highlighting the need for cultural sensitivity and contextual awareness.
The study contributes to theory by proposing a revised, contextually embedded model of authentic leadership that integrates paradoxical leadership practice and resilience. It extends the field by offering a practice based conceptualisation of authentic leadership, calling for a shift beyond Western-centric assumptions.