In this chapter, we describe how leadership studies have benefitted by (re)attending to practice theories. We elaborate on how these theories have offered the possibility to develop new understandings of leadership by reimagining the study of this phenomenon.
The first section of the chapter presents an introduction to practice theories and their entrance in leadership studies. Then, in the second section, we illustrate what studies mobilizing practice theories have contributed to. In the third section we dig into a discussion of the different positionings that researchers drawing on practice theories have taken, in order to provide the reader with the possibility to navigate the sensitizing framework that these theories provide. The chapter ends with a discussion of criticalities and possibilities, including the possible need to advance our methodological tools.