New Variations of Dual Leadership: Insights From Finnish Theatre

This article explores emergent ways of organizing dual leadership in theatres in Finland. These new variations of dual leadership challenge the traditional sharp division between artistic and financial leadership, even though the formal division may still be present. The leader duos have chosen each other as partners and wish to lead together, sharing the artistic leadership of the organization. Through interviews with leader duos and employees of theatres using these types of dual leadership, this study highlights the emergent structures and challenges related to them. Boundaries between the leaders and the rest of the organization still exist, and can be either beneficial or problematic. These new ways of organizing leadership are also steps towards collaborative leadership and bridging of the boundaries that still exist within many organizations, in the arts and in other fields as well.