Developing paradoxical and authentic leadership: qualitative evaluation of leadership development among hotel managers and hospitality management educators in Vietnam

This study explores the effectiveness of leadership development (LD) in fostering paradoxical and authentic leader and leadership capabilities in hotel managers and hospitality management educators. Using a qualitative approach, the study evaluates how LD contributed to immediate and medium-term outcomes. The use of the Critical Incident Technique uncovered that the LD approaches enabled the growth in cognitive, affective and behavioural dimensions, contributing to elevated individual and collective leadership capacity. The study expands the literature on paradoxical and authentic leadership and deepens the understanding of how LD can support the growth of authenticity and balanced decision-making in the visitor economy to drive organisational performance.