Aims and objectives <p>To explore person-centred leadership in residential care from the perspective of first-line managers.</p> Background <p>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.</p> Methods <p>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.</p> Findings <p>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.</p> Conclusions <p>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.</p>