April 20-24, 2026, in Lund, Sweden (on site)
Join us for our international PhD course on Critical Perspectives on Leadership this spring. This intensive course offers a combination of lectures, seminars, and workshops for PhD students to learn and receive guided feedback on their PhD projects from leading scholars. The course is aimed to be of interest to participants from across the social sciences.
Aim and course content
We live in a culture increasingly preoccupied with leadership. Managers attend leadership courses, more jobs demand ‘leadership skills’, and we are constantly exposed to new leadership models and strategies for achieving leadership success. The call for leadership has intensified even further in recent years with the growing influence of algorithms and generative AI. As algorithmic management exerts greater control over organizational life, the need for human(e) leadership appears even more pressing.
This growing preoccupation with leadership raises important questions about its role and consequences. Leadership is often framed as part of the solution to social challenges like climate change, economic inequality, and discrimination. Yet, it is also associated with
alarming developments in society, such as rising polarization, Big Tech dominance, and the spread of populism. We are, in short, witnessing a ‘leadership moment’ in contemporary culture – one that compels us to question and critically examine the nature and impact of leadership itself.
The aim of this course is to explore how leadership ideas manifest in cultural contexts at both organizational and societal levels. In particular, we examine the US context, where most mainstream leadership perspectives originate, and the Nordic context, where
traditionally more emphasis is placed on egalitarianism, collaboration, and shared responsibility. Through discussions, course lecturers and participants examine what is compelling and problematic about these ideas and how we can study them in practice. This interrogation of leadership aims to move beyond negative critiques. We also investigate alternative approaches to leadership, emphasizing more collective and relational perspectives. Participants will have ample opportunities to present their ideas and projects and receive constructive feedback. All in-class teaching follows a seminar format and is meant to support PhD students with their projects.
Teachers and location
Sverre Spoelstra (Lund University, Copenhagen Business School) will supervise the course. Other teachers from Lund University include Magnus Larsson, Nadja Sörgärde and Stefan Sveningsson. On Wednesday 22 April, the teaching will be organized by the research group Leadership and Contemporary Challenges, based at Copenhagen Business School. Teachers from Copenhagen Business School include Nicole Ferry, Eric Guthey and Bent Meier Sørensen.
The teaching will take place on campus at Lund University, except for Wednesday the 22nd, when we will cross the Öresund bridge and visit Copenhagen Business School. Attendance is mandatory for all participants. The course director assesses if and how absence may be compensated.
Examination
A final course paper critically discussing and applying relevant parts of the course literature (max 4,000 words). Due end of August, 2026.
Application
Apply for the course by 1 April 2026, or at your earliest convenience to safeguard admittance, by sending:
1) a short bio on your motivation for joining the course,
2) a short description of your own research project (to be distributed to other students of the course)
3) a signed application form as one PDF file to cpl@fek.lu.se
The cost of each course is 5.000 SEK (+ 25 % VAT). Payment instructions will be distributed upon acceptance. Students from NFF or SNABS member universities are exempt from the fee. (Not sure if your school is a member of the NFF? See our list of member institutions here.)
