Strengthening Women's Leadership Identity: Part I
Document Type
Article
Publisher
Publication Date
6-11-2018
Abstract
I just finished reading a scholarly article published by D. Scott DeRue and Susan J. Ashford (2010) at the University of Michigan titled "Who Will Lead and Who Will Follow? A Social Process of Leadership Identity Construction in Organizations." As a women’s leadership scholar, I’ve spent years trying to figure out the best ways to help girls and women find their own leadership identities, so they will develop stronger aspirations to influence and lead. This article provided a few new insights for me as I train, develop, educate, and influence women toward becoming both informal and formal leaders (I wish I would have read it sooner!).
Past research has suggested that when a woman sees herself as a leader, her motivation to lead is strengthened, her engagement in the leadership process increases, she will seek out more leadership responsibilities, and she will more consciously look for opportunities to develop leadership skills. Hence, I’ve always worked from the notion that leadership identity is primarily within an individual’s own self-concept. However, DeRue and Ashford believe that it’s more complex than that.
Recommended Citation
Madsen, Susan R., "Strengthening Women's Leadership Identity: Part I" (2018). Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications. Paper 319.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/marketing_facpub/319