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This study explores the process of interactions experienced by leaders during the evolution of the small firm. Three key propositions are conceptualized into a model with the main aim of supporting leaders of small organizations in understanding better the leadership phenomena.

This qualitative research project investigates the dynamics of leadership in small businesses through an inductive and abductive approach, inherent to grounded theory. This enabled the development of propositions directly from data. Field research involved responsive interviews with 12 established small enterprise leaders. Selective and theoretical sampling coupled with ongoing data comparison and analysis were applied to uncover and refine emerging leadership concepts.

Intellectual assets of leaders in small firms propel the recognition and sensitivity to the process of organizational evolution which requires a continuous adaptation of the leadership paradigm.

The researchers’ philosophical stance to construct reality based on the participants own experiences, cannot produce generalized findings on the subject area.

Enhanced Decision-Making and Strategic Planning: Small business leaders can leverage their academic and industry backgrounds to make more informed and strategic decisions. Facilitating Organizational Change: By understanding the necessity of continuous change, small business leaders can implement frameworks that encourage flexibility and adaptability within their organizations. Adopting Distributed Leadership: Encouraging small business owners to move away from centralized control towards a more distributed leadership model can lead to better organizational outcomes.

A considerable amount of research has been devoted to leadership in the past decades. There is very little evidence on behavioral patterns of leaders, grounded in data within the context of the Small Firm aimed at the practitioner. This work is contribution towards this shortfall.

This study aims to explore the perspectives of psychiatrists with lived experiences and what their considerations are upon integrating the personal into the professional realm.

As part of a qualitative participatory research approach, participant observations during two years in peer supervision sessions (15 sessions with 8 psychiatrists with lived experiences), additional interviews as part of member feedback and a focus group were thematically analysed.

Although the decision to become a psychiatrist was often related to personal experiences with mental distress and some feel the need to integrate the personal into the professional, the actual use of lived experiences appears still in its early stages of development. Findings reveal three main considerations related to the personal (3.1), professionality (3.2) and clinical relevance (3.3) comprising 11 facilitators and 9 barriers to harness lived experiences.

This study was conducted locally and there are no similar comparable studies known. It was small in its size due to its qualitative nature and with a homogeneous group and therefore may lack generalisability.

Future directions to further overcome shame and stigma and discover the potential of lived experiences are directed to practice, education and research.

Psychiatrists with lived experiences valued the integration of experiential knowledge into the professional realm, even though being still under development. The peer supervision setting in this study was experienced as a safe space to share personal experiences with vulnerability and suffering rather than a technical disclosure. It re-sensitised participants to their personal narratives, unleashing its demystifying, destigmatising and humanising potential.