Diversity, identity and leadership

This paper is one of several drawn from the findings of a research project entitled ‘Integrating Leadership and Diversity in Leadership in Further Education’. Understanding how people identify themselves and their relations with others, especially through leadership at work, is a crucial element of this study with its interests in identifying how individuals assess their inclusion in leadership, and its impact upon their engagement with, and effectiveness of leadership. It is the core theme of this paper. Recognising leadership as an intellectual, ethical, and emotional activity, the study explored leadership from the perspectives of self-identity and group membership identity, considering their impact upon group participation; the explicit and implicit rules of working in leadership groups, and how these were agreed or evolved; and the extent to which individual staff felt able to communicate as they intended. Such questions led us to consider the extent to which identities might be viewed as static or fluid, single or multiple over time and according to contingency, and how and why different aspects of identities might be highlighted (or ignored) as the basis of power and influence at work (Goffman, 1986; Gurin & Nagda, 2006; Stone & Colella, 1996). The paper aims to stimulate reflection on action to support the ability of all staff to contribute to leadership in a way which they value and which is productive.

Excerpt from published introduction.

Papers from the ‘Integrating diversity in leadership’ project are indexed from TD/TNC 94.366 to TD/TNC 94.368.

This paper is one of several drawn from the findings of a research project entitled ‘Integrating Leadership and Diversity in Leadership in Further Education’. Understanding how people identify themselves and their relations with others, especially through leadership at work, is a crucial element of this study with its interests in identifying how individuals assess their inclusion in leadership, and its impact upon their engagement with, and effectiveness of leadership. It is the core theme of this paper. Recognising leadership as an intellectual, ethical, and emotional activity, the ...  [+] Show more