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Aims and objectives: To explore person-centred leadership in residential care from the perspective of first-line managers.

Background: Studies have shown that person-centred leadership is important for leading person-centred care. Although person-centred care is the current model of care, there is limited knowledge of what person-centred leadership entails in the context of residential care for older people.

Methods: This was an exploratory qualitative study using focus groups and individual interviews with 21 first-line managers in residential care facilities for older persons in five municipalities in Sweden. Data were collected from October 2021 to March 2022. Data were analysed using conventional content analysis.

Findings: Person-centred leadership entailed being person-centred as a leader, focusing on the relationship with personnel, and leading person-centred care by highlighting the older persons’ needs.

Conclusions: Being person-centred as a leader involves acknowledging the personhood of personnel in words and actions, which has the potential to promote person-centred practices. Person-centred leadership entails promoting personnel to meet older person’s changing needs, which must drive operations, while simultaneously trying to meet the needs of personnel.