Agile leadership (AL) is essential for leading agile transformations. So far, a conceptualization of AL is still lacking. To investigate its core characteristics, we conduct an exploratory single case study. Our study examines a senior executive training program within a young European automotive software company, with the objective of establishing AL throughout the organization. Our study’s primary findings reveal that AL can be categorized into five perspectives: person-based, purpose-based, result-based, position-based, and process-based. Agile leaders are humble, adaptable, visionary, and engaged. AL focuses on aligning employees with a clear vision, fostering a learning organization, increasing transparency, and establishing decision-making in teams. It is practiced by executives, agile accountabilities, and team members. Agile leaders operate as experimenters, collaborators, facilitators, enablers, and resilient leaders. Our findings provide a foundational basis for organizations to implement AL, thereby enhancing their adaptability and overall success.