Knowledge leadership cycles: an approach from Nonaka's viewpoint

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to analyse leadership cycles based on knowledge creation, with learning and culture as key elements for reaching leadership. Following Ikujiro Nonaka’s viewpoint about knowledge creation in Japanese firms, this paper seeks to provide a link between knowledge management and change in leaders. Design/methodology/approach – The developed analysis is theoretical and it links the real case of Hoshiden Electronics’ homemade breadmaking machine to knowledge distribution in order to attain leadership and using Nonaka’s knowledge interplay. Findings – The paper provides a fresh look on leadership, presenting two types according to how change in leaders is handled and how every leader establishes his/her own knowledge cycle: knowledge amplification and knowledge modulation cycle. Originality/value – Knowledge leadership cycles establish an insight for future studies and provide a theoretical framework for researchers and managers, identifying how a successful leader is developed.