摘要：This study evaluates the hardships that are experienced when engaging in leadership activities. It explores how especially middle managers employ self-leadership and express self-compassion when facing work-related hardship events. The empirical data consists of seven interviews of middle managers, which were analyzed using the grounded theory method. The study shows how middle managers generate leniency in leadership by beginning with emotional distress and ending with restored peace of mind. The results identify the self-leadership strategies employed to endure the experienced hardships. Work context and principles of acting regulate the formation of leniency in leadership. The outcome is featured by putting one’s mind to rest and learning from the experience. The means to lead oneself and to be kind to oneself interconnect in leniency in leadership, which is theorized as the interface of self-leadership strategies and self-compassion as a special form of self-directive behavior.
