Personality, emotional intelligence, cognitive flexibility, and paradoxical leadership behaviors among sport industry leaders: A person-centred approach

Journal article

Leaders across the sport industry increasingly operate in environments characterised by complexity, competing demands, and persistent tensions. Paradoxical leadership behaviors (PLB) provide a framework for understanding how leaders navigate such challenges, yet little is known about the individual characteristics associated with these behaviors. Drawing on paradoxical leadership theory, trait theory, and configural theory, this study examined how personality, emotional intelligence, and cognitive flexibility combine to relate to PLB. Survey data were collected from 334 leaders working across sport and sport-adjacent organizations. Latent profile analysis identified four distinct psychological profiles that differed significantly in PLB. Leaders characterised by higher cognitive flexibility, emotional intelligence, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness reported the highest levels of PLB, particularly in balancing consistency and flexibility. Findings highlight the value of a person-centred approach to understanding leadership and provide insights for leadership development in complex sport and sport-adjacent environments.

Authors: Moos, C; Cairney, J; Bourke, M; Richard, V; Dopson, S

• Publication status: Accepted
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Applied Sport Management Association
• Journal: Journal of Applied Sport Management
• Acceptance date: 2026-08-21
• ISSN: 2327-0179
• Language: English
• Keywords: paradoxical leadership; paradox theory; latent profile analysis