Johtajana

johtajana is a Finnish word form meaning "as a leader" or "in the capacity of a leader." It is the essive case form of johtaja, which means "leader," "manager," or "director." The essive expresses a temporary state or a role rather than a permanent occupation. In Finnish, the form is commonly used to describe someone's current function within an organization or project.

Grammatical notes: The essive suffix -na/-nä is added to the noun stem, yielding johtaja -> johtajana. It is used with verbs that indicate acting in that role, most commonly toimia "to act/serve as": "Hän toimii yrityksen johtajana" ("He serves as the company’s leader"). It can also appear in phrases such as "johtajana toimiminen" (the act of serving as a leader) or "viime vuonna hän toimi johtajana" (last year he acted as a leader). The form can be modified with possessives to specify the organization: "yrityksen johtajana" or "organisaation johtajana."

Related terms and usage: Related terms include johtaja (the leader/director) in the nominative, and the form johtajana is one of several essive cases for role expressions. The meaning overlaps with English "as a leader" or "in the role of director," and is common in corporate, political, and project contexts. The use signals temporary appointment or a functional role rather than a fixed title.