When the Chief is Away: Managing a Leadership Vacuum in a Ghanaian Community

Abstract

The debate on the relevance of traditional authorities in contemporary societies has been ongoing. However, less emphasis has been given to the effect of the absence of legitimate traditional leaders in some communities. To address this knowledge gap, the current study adopted a qualitative research approach to gather data from 8 participants concerning how the absence of a traditional leader has affected the peace and development of Aburaso in Ghana. Using the applied leadership vacuum concept and the transformational leadership theory as the theoretical underpinnings of the study, the findings revealed that while the absence of a traditional leader has hindered development initiatives, land management, and social cohesion; the leadership succession dispute has also resulted in a continuous conflict and the lack of peace. This study concludes that traditional authorities remain pivotal development actors and recommends establishing robust succession frameworks to prevent prolonged leadership vacuums.