How Does Entrepreneurial Leadership Pay Off for Small Businesses? Exploring contexts to understand the value of entrepreneurial leadership

Abstract

This article examines the role of entrepreneurial leadership in small businesses. It investigates how entrepreneurial leadership influences followers’ behaviour, especially in challenging environments. By drawing on a qualitative study conducted with Nigerian small businesses, issues of attributes, skills and relational characteristics were found to be of central importance to responses concerning entrepreneurial leadership. The interview data reveal that entrepreneurial leadership involves influencing and guiding subordinates towards achieving entrepreneurial goals. Our major findings demonstrate the seemingly valuable interplay between aspects of leaders’ interpretations of entrepreneurial leadership and their relevance to small business growth. By providing a contextualised interpretation, this study contributes to the field of entrepreneurial leadership concerning contexts that have been largely neglected.