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The Swedish Armed Forces have experienced a series of fundamental reorganizations during the 20th and 21st centuries. This study investigates the inquiry into the Leadership and Authority Organization for Defence (LEMO) introduced in 1991, one of the pivotal restructuring efforts undertaken by the Swedish Armed Forces, which resulted in the transformation of the Armed Forces into an agency within the government.

An exploratory qualitative textual analysis was undertaken to address the research question, guided by the structural and symbolic perspectives outlined by Bolman and Deal (2019).

 The study reveals that the decision to allow branch commanders to retain both responsibility and rank, coupled with the absence of a higher staff function, led to reduced efficiency in the workflow. Consequently, the Chief of Defence was burdened with assessments that should have been conducted by the Chief of staff of the Headquarters. This reduction in leadership adversely affected joint operations within the Swedish Armed Forces.