"If you as a manager crash, who then takes care of your employees?" : A qualitative study of the elderly care first-line leaders experiences of leading during a pandemic.

With the Covid-19 pandemic, many of the already identified shortcomings in our welfare society came to be challenged and care for the eldery was particularly affected. Eldery care had to endure harsh criticism and managers in eldery care were questioned. Based on this, the purpose of this study is to gain an in-depth understanding of the eldery care first-line leaders experiences of leading during the Covid-19 pandemic an how they are emotionelly effected and challenged during this period. The study is based on a qualitative method whit semi-stuctured interviews as a data collection method. Eight first-line leaders in eldery care have been interviewed and based on their stories, their experiences of leading during the covid-19 pandemic have been analyzed from Erving Goffman's dramaturgical perspective and Arlie Russel Hoschschild's theory of emotional work. The study shows the importance of a transparent and present leadership and that the unit leaders have experienced loneliness and inadequacy in their role as leaders, wherw the collegial support has proven to be central to being able to stand firmly as a leader during the pandemic.