Not another study of great leaders: Entrepreneurial leadership in a mid‐sized family firm for its further growth and development

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature and process of leadership in a mid-sized, family-controlled bank in Singapore in order to understand how it grew and developed under family control. Design/methodology/approach - The paper draws on distributed leadership as a theoretical framework in exploring how a major corporate acquisition was conceived and undertaken to advance the bank's growth and development. Data were obtained through structured interviews with managers based on a three-part discussion protocol following a pre-interview questionnaire. Findings - An "extended" system of leadership involving different levels of managers is developed that successfully completed the acquisition and produced significant growth from the combined businesses. Research limitations/implications - Based on a single case, the paper does not claim that the observed phenomena are typical of mid-sized family-controlled businesses (FCBs). However, for scholars, the paper suggests how studying leadership practice in such FCBs may produce insights that challenge the popular view of an all-powerful family leader by substituting a more nuanced perspective of a collaborative leadership system that facilitates entrepreneurial activity down the firm. Practical implications - For managers, the study suggests how deeply developed collaboration among different levels of managers may produce competitive advantage for FCBs that seek further growth and development. Social implications - It is suggested how further research of the growth processes of mid-sized FCBs may maximize the value of entrepreneurial opportunities for their "extended" family of stakeholders, specifically for their customers with whom FCBs typically enjoy close relations. Originality/value - The paper fills an empirical gap in the literature on competitive, mid-sized FCBs by articulating a process in which a unique competency is developed for their ongoing survival as a family-controlled enterprise. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]