Abstract: This grounded theory study on developing a leadership identity revealed a 6-stage developmental process. The thirteen diverse students in this study described their leadership identity as moving from a leader-centric view to one that embraced leadership as a collaborative, relational process. Developing a leadership identity was connected to the categories of developmental influences, developing self, group influences, students' changing view of self with others, and students' broadening view of leadership. A conceptual model illustrating the grounded theory of developing a leadership identity is presented. (Komives et al., 2005)
This week I finally read an article on Leadership Development, which I think is slowly becoming a passion area of mine. Despite having been somewhat a leader at my previous institution through many clubs and organizations, I have never read any theory on how it happened. What stages did I go through to developing my own idea of who I am and what I do as a leader? How did I move from one stage to another - what were the influences? This article, "Developing a Leadership Identity: A Grounded Theory" by Komives et al. (2005) approaches these questions using grounded theory, a qualitative analytical approach that I believe is a great approach to finding motivations and influences in people.
The article citation can be found below - you can find it on any database through which you can access the Journal of College Student Development. I will just be addressing what I found interesting in the article and how I will bring this into my practice.
I really enjoy the focus on group and relational leadership this article puts forward - understanding, of course, that it was really the participants' inner theory driving that, and the authors simply extracted it through the interviews. The growth of the leader through interaction with the group is a concept that seems simple, especially given the unconscious nature of that growth at times, but the authors are able to pull it apart and show just how intricate and complicated and recursive that growth is. It builds itself just as the authors build the grounded theory, an analogy so appropriate that Komives et al. (2005) do not even need to state it.
One aspect of this study I wish was made more explicit is the amount of time the authors felt was spent growing from one step to another. This may seem trivial, but as I was reading I found myself wondering at what point in my life I was at each step. When reflecting on Stage 3 - "Leadership Identified" and Stage 4 - "Leadership Differentiated" I felt as though I had spent years in Stage 3 before moving into Stage 4 during my late high school years. However, I am now in Stage 6 less than six years later - and yes, part of being in Stage 6 is having the confidence to say that I am. :)
I am certain that I am going to bring this theory into my role as a supervisor of student staff and an advisor of a Hall Council. Having these stages in my toolkit will potentially assist me in identifying developmental blocks of the student leaders with whom I interact. I see that Stage 3 to Stage 4 transition being a potentially difficult one for students who do not see themselves as leaders. To get past that, I think they need more from Komives et al.'s category of "Changing View of Self with Others" through more group interaction and "Meaningful Involvement" (2005). Furthermore, Stage 5 could result in leaving a group when a leader does not feel fulfilled - ze is not finding hir passion or values in the work of the group and thus leaves to find a group in which those values are realized. Without that passion being realized, ze will be unable to develop new leaders within the group, an element of leadership I see as essential to the sustenance of an organization.
Article Citation: Komives, S. R., Owen, J. E., Longerbeam, S. D., Mainella, F. C., Osteen, L. (2005). Developing a leadership identity: A grounded theory. Journal of College Student Development, 56(6), 593-611.
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