The study examines crisis leadership beyond idealized gendered templates—like men as superheroes and women as selfless nurturers—by analyzing how both male and female leaders actually behaved during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over an 8-week inductive study, participants showed leadership marked by human vulnerability: doubts, emotions, and adaptability. Gender similarities were strong (both sexes faced uncertainty), while differences appeared in tactical responses: men tended to mirror leader prototypes, whereas women adapted tactics based on context. The findings challenge typical prescriptive models and suggest a more nuanced theory of crisis leadership where no “super(wo)men” exist.
