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Becoming a leader : women’s experiences of organizational leadership

University of British Columbia

The purpose of this study was to investigate and illuminate the general patterns characterizing the process of becoming a leader as experienced by successful women leaders in organizational management. Previous research has examined the qualities women are commonly socialized to bring to the workplace and leadership, it has documented the issues and problems women commonly encounter in the workforce, and it has studied how women lead in terms of their effectiveness and style. Little previous research, however, has focused on how women actually experience the process of adjustment involved in becoming a leader in the workplace. The focus has been on measuring behavior rather than accessing the subjective experience of the experiencer, so little is known about how women actually experience this process. For the present study, a narrative case study approach was used to interview five women who, to be eligible for the study, had to have assumed management or leadership positions in an organization and have reached a stage of comfort and stability in their roles as leaders. They each told the stories of their progress towards positions of leadership in interviews lasting approximately two hours. From these interviews five detailed and vivid narrative accounts were generated. These accounts were written as much as possible from the perspectives of the participants and used their own words as much as possible. From intensive analysis of the narrative accounts four major thematic movements or clear themes of progress common to the experience of all the women emerged clearly. These thematic movements characterize and illuminate the significant components of the process of becoming a leader. The results of the study suggest that the ability to understand fear and face challenge in order to develop confidence and competence, the ability to secure a supportive work environment, the articulation of a personally congruent leadership style, and the development of a personal vision all further a woman's process of becoming a leader. The significance of this study lies primarily in the area of enhancing vocational counselling theories and practice. The results suggest that a woman's process of becoming a leader is one of self-discovery and The results suggest that a woman's process of becoming a leader is one of self-discovery and self-growth. The study indicates that a woman may resolve many of the conflicts presented to her as she moves into leadership positions by discarding the role of the traditional leader in favor of forging a new identity that fits more congruently with her personal values and style. This study augments existing research by outlining a process through which this transition may occur. From a practical perspective, these women and the general pattern of their experiences can serve as guides for counsellors, employers, and others who effect and shape the working lives of women. In particular, this study provides women with accessible role models of real women struggling with real issues, representing between them a wide range of real solutions and coping techniques. It validates our experience and our tacit identification of the issues we must confront, and it outlines a path for reaching our goals. The utility of this information lies not in imposing any definition of achievement on women, but in increasing the range of vocational choices and the quality of vocational experiences available to them.

Thesis/Dissertation

application/pdf

2009-02-09

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/4349

Counselling Psychology

University of British Columbia

UBCV

DSpace