Making Sense of Leadership in Norway: The View from Management Consultants

The current article addresses how management consultants come to believe that some leaders will do well in the future. The findings from a study of Norwegian management consultants show that the way these professionals arrive at their beliefs depends on their seeing, liking, and trusting. The article suggests that what management consultants come to believe is important, because their beliefs and understanding may affect how leaders define their roles and identities, how we come to trust leaders, and how we legitimize leadership. Thus, management consultants are important sensemakers in the discussion about leadership. However, their sense-making was path dependent, and they did not critically inquire into their own beliefs, thinking, and understanding.