Table 1. Comparative interpretative...

Table 1.

Comparative interpretative phenomenological analysis of women’s and men’s leadership experiences during a prolonged crisis

Superordinate IPA theme	Women leaders: Select experiential tendencies	Verbatim illustrative quotes (women)	Men leaders: Select experiential tendencies	Verbatim illustrative quotes (men)
Leadership risk experienced: Relational and operational risk issues	Leadership risk was experienced as potential relational harm, emotional fallout and erosion of trust. Risk awareness was people-centred and emotionally anticipatory	“…you’ve gotta [got to] take on the disappointment in your team… that definitely falls on the managers.” (P12) “There’s so much unknown… that was always gonna [going to] have a mental toll on people.” (P17)	Leadership risk was experienced as system failure, safety breaches or operational breakdown. Risk awareness was procedural and consequence-focused	“Every single person coming through the gate had to be approved… that responsibility sat with me.” (P07) “The decision was either [to] manage fatigue or shut down a mine site.” (P04)
Authority as negotiated and maintained under pressure	Authority was experienced as relationally negotiated and continuously reaffirmed through presence, care and engagement	“People really craved that touch point back in with a leader.” (P30) “…how do you deal with the psychosocial elements whilst still trying to deliver?” (P16)	Authority was experienced as structurally given but dependent on emotional control and decisiveness	“Everybody looks at you to see how you are coping…” (P21) “…as the leader, I was forced… to hold everything together, even when I was struggling myself…” (P32)
Boundary management: emotional permeability/compartmentalisation	Professional and emotional boundaries were porous; work demands frequently intruded into personal well-being and recovery	“Working 18-hour days… I didn’t get the basics right all the time.” (P17) “Mental wellbeing and fatigue were huge issues…” (P30)	Boundaries were maintained through compartmentalisation and emotional suppression	“There’s not really that delineation anymore… good and not so good.” (P01) “I just put up with it… and move on.” (P22)
Isolation in leadership: Social and emotional isolation	Isolation was experienced as reduced relational connection and concern for others’ disconnection	“…during isolation on mine site… check-in was the only human contact you had all day…” (P16)	Isolation was experienced as emotional solitude and the absence of a space to express vulnerability	“I’m not allowed a bad day.” (P19) “Everybody was running to me.” (P07)
Learning in crises – reflective and instrumental adaptation	Learning involved reflection on self-limits, care practices and interpersonal sensitivity	“It made me aware how important physical exercise is for me.” (P12)	Learning focused on systems, planning horizons and information accuracy	“Take it one day at a time… shorten our planning.” (P05) “I had to make sure I had the right information.” (P07)
Thinking of leaving: rethinking and staying	Exit was imagined implicitly through exhaustion, well-being deterioration and withdrawal without overt articulation	“…I don’t know if I can keep doing this at this level.” (P30)	Exit was resisted through stoic endurance and normalisation of strain	“…stopping or stepping back never really felt like an option…” (P07)

Superordinate IPA theme	Women leaders: Select experiential tendencies	Verbatim illustrative quotes (women)	Men leaders: Select experiential tendencies	Verbatim illustrative quotes (men)
Leadership risk experienced: Relational and operational risk issues	Leadership risk was experienced as potential relational harm, emotional fallout and erosion of trust. Risk awareness was people-centred and emotionally anticipatory	“…you’ve gotta [got to] take on the disappointment in your team… that definitely falls on the managers.” (P12) “There’s so much unknown… that was always gonna [going to] have a mental toll on people.” (P17)	Leadership risk was experienced as system failure, safety breaches or operational breakdown. Risk awareness was procedural and consequence-focused	“Every single person coming through the gate had to be approved… that responsibility sat with me.” (P07) “The decision was either [to] manage fatigue or shut down a mine site.” (P04)
Authority as negotiated and maintained under pressure	Authority was experienced as relationally negotiated and continuously reaffirmed through presence, care and engagement	“People really craved that touch point back in with a leader.” (P30) “…how do you deal with the psychosocial elements whilst still trying to deliver?” (P16)	Authority was experienced as structurally given but dependent on emotional control and decisiveness	“Everybody looks at you to see how you are coping…” (P21) “…as the leader, I was forced… to hold everything together, even when I was struggling myself…” (P32)
Boundary management: emotional permeability/compartmentalisation	Professional and emotional boundaries were porous; work demands frequently intruded into personal well-being and recovery	“Working 18-hour days… I didn’t get the basics right all the time.” (P17) “Mental wellbeing and fatigue were huge issues…” (P30)	Boundaries were maintained through compartmentalisation and emotional suppression	“There’s not really that delineation anymore… good and not so good.” (P01) “I just put up with it… and move on.” (P22)
Isolation in leadership: Social and emotional isolation	Isolation was experienced as reduced relational connection and concern for others’ disconnection	“…during isolation on mine site… check-in was the only human contact you had all day…” (P16)	Isolation was experienced as emotional solitude and the absence of a space to express vulnerability	“I’m not allowed a bad day.” (P19) “Everybody was running to me.” (P07)
Learning in crises – reflective and instrumental adaptation	Learning involved reflection on self-limits, care practices and interpersonal sensitivity	“It made me aware how important physical exercise is for me.” (P12)	Learning focused on systems, planning horizons and information accuracy	“Take it one day at a time… shorten our planning.” (P05) “I had to make sure I had the right information.” (P07)
Thinking of leaving: rethinking and staying	Exit was imagined implicitly through exhaustion, well-being deterioration and withdrawal without overt articulation	“…I don’t know if I can keep doing this at this level.” (P30)	Exit was resisted through stoic endurance and normalisation of strain	“…stopping or stepping back never really felt like an option…” (P07)

Note(s):

This table presents a comparative interpretive synthesis consistent with IPA principles. Interpretive summaries were developed through idiographic analysis before cross-case comparison. The summaries represent contextually situated tendencies within the 15-case IPA subsample and do not apply uniformly to all women or men participants. Verbatim excerpts illustrate experiential meaning rather than frequency or representativeness

Source(s): Authors’ own work

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