This research provides insights into how leaders in hybrid organisations, like Business Sweden, interpret and make sense of institutional logic and sustainability complexities. The inherent complexity of hybrids poses greater challenges for leaders than single-sector organisations. This research aims to contribute knowledge to understanding leaders’ experiences in hybrids, particularly in addressing sustainability. Sustainability is a concept that is open to interpretation, and this research seeks to improve the lack of understanding about how leaders in hybrids navigate and make sense of sustainability, especially given the urgent need to address the apparent climate crisis. Such a knowledge gap hinders organisations from effectively utilising their leaders' experiences to enhance sustainability efforts and manage the complexities inherent in hybrid structures. The research adopts a qualitative approach grounded in social constructivism as a research philosophy. It employs a hermeneutic approach and thematic narrative analysis to present the findings. Through semi-structured interviews with leaders, the research finds that leaders encounter challenges in balancing dual institutional logics of their owners and aligning social missions with profit goals. Contrary to previous theories emphasising cultural complexity, leaders in this context primarily grapple with mission alignment. They use metaphors and personal stories to make sense of these challenges. Although sustainability is crucial for organisational legitimacy, leaders lack sufficient support and tools for effective implementation. Overall, leaders view the hybrid structure positively and closely align with the organisation's sustainability goals. However, all leaders need to personally embrace sustainability values rather than solely using them as a competitive advantage for the organisation to establish long-term sustainability efforts.