Project Summary: Leadership Book

Progress

• Interviews are well underway with a goal of completing 100 interviews.

• Periodic quotes and words of wisdom from the interviews are being shared on the Apis LinkedIn page here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/apiscg

Interviewee Demographics

Below is more information and context about the book I am writing.

Why am I writing the book?

Some time ago, a leader I was working with recommended a leadership book. I started reading it, noting that the author was integrating a lot of quotes and stories from different people. I also noticed I was more than twenty percent into the book before the author told a story about a woman, so I paid attention and, by the end of the book, he had either quoted or told stories about women less than 10 times out of the 200-300 quotes and stories across the book. That experience made me reflect on the leadership literature I had read over the years and realised that almost all of it had been authored by men, and I suspected those authors were generally white, straight and cis-gender. I made a connection to my own observation based on my experience that the generally accepted leadership archetype is one that is predicated on the straight, white, cis-gender male leader. This shows up in the research and writing of Kenji Yoshino and Dr. Vivian Ming, just to name two, whose work can be used to confirm this to be the case. It makes sense that how we view leadership is through the lens of straight, white, cis men because they overwhelmingly write the books, articles and research we read. As a result, I decided I wanted to start reading different points of view. When I asked my network about leadership books authored by people from communities of difference and did some searching myself, there were only a few books available. I was sharing my frustration with a friend who suggested I write a book that will help fill the gap, but I dismissed the challenge as a little joke. However, the idea came back to me in spring 2021 ago when I knew I would have the time and space it would take to research and write the book, and I decided to commit to doing it.

What is the hypothesis?

The hypothesis of the book is that there is leadership wisdom and knowledge from communities of difference that is often discounted and discarded because it’s outside the accepted leadership archetype predicated on the straight, white, cig-gender male norm. Moreover, I suspect there will be consistent patterns of how this knowledge and wisdom is held across all or a number of these communities.

What is the purpose of the book?

If the hypothesis of the book is true, then the purpose of the book will be to highlight and elevate leadership knowledge and wisdom from communities of difference in a very practical way. For anyone interested in understanding the problems we are facing, there are plenty of books, research, articles and even TikTok videos that clearly articulate problems such as capitalism, patriarchy, racism, homophobia, ableism and colonialism. I want to focus my attention on what we actually can do as leaders to embrace and embody leadership wisdom and knowledge from marginalised groups that can counteract those problems and support others to gain confidence as leaders to embrace a different archetype of leadership. Speaking ideally, another purpose of the book is to be part of the conversation that is attempting to disrupt the current system by suggesting there are better ways to lead and that leadership can actually heal – our planet, our communities, our organisations, ourselves.

A secondary purpose of the book is somewhat simple. It’s to let leaders and aspiring leaders from communities of difference know that they are not alone in who they are or what they have experienced. I also would like the book to give readers a bit of hope and even a bit of confidence to embrace any difference they might have as a superpower.

What is the research approach?

My research will be primarily through interviews of individuals from indigenous and marginalised communities, those from ethnic minorities, those who have disabilities and those from sexual orientation and gender minorities, specifically including those outside the gender binary. I have my own stories to tell from working and studying the last 30+ years, some of which are deeply personal and, frankly, not always easy to talk about. I think the best way to hear, care for and hold the insights, stories and experiences of others is through one-to-one interactions in a safe, confidential space. The aim of speaking with people from many different marginalised groups will be to uncover themes and patterns as a whole, rather than to collect individual stories to tell or attempt to document or articulate particular pieces of wisdom from separate communities. My experience and intuition suggest there will be plenty of intersectional themes and patterns that can be highlighted, elevated and celebrated.

How will the book be structured?

The structure will be determined by the research outcomes, but I do have a working flow outlined below just to give a sense of what how ‘practical’ might show up in the book.  

• What is the issue?

• What is the impact of that issue?

• What interventions will address the issue and it's impact?

Here is a very simple worked example using the structure above.

• The issue is that as a leader I often find I am the only ‘one’ like me around the leadership table.

• The impact is that I can often feel lonely, which can impact me in different ways as a leader.

• If you experience loneliness as a leader, here are some ways you can support yourself:

  • Build your village, a group of like-minded, supportive people you can lean on. Use the power of the group to let go of having to do it on your own.

  • Find your community. Join and get involved in employee or leader groups that connect you with others in your community.

In my interviews, I suspect I will hear some powerful stories, some of which I think should be heard and will help bring the content above to life. In that case, I will work with individuals who shared their stories to decide if they are willing to have their story highlighted and how that could be done in a way that feels right for them.

Who is the audience for the book?

This isn’t meant to be an academic publication, but a practical leadership book for the general public. The book is primarily targeted toward leaders and aspiring leaders from communities of difference to support them on their leadership journey. Of course, straight, white, cis-gender men are welcome to read it too!

Who will publish it?

I don’t have a publisher yet, but I’m grateful to so many generous friends and colleagues in my network who are connecting me with their contacts in publishing. In the end if no one wants to publish it, then I will figure out how to self-publish or even give it away.

How can I share my insights and stories as part of your research

Please email me directly – jae@apiscg.com

Will there be a podcast?

I sense that in addition to the book, I will want to create a podcast series that will sit alongside the book. The aim of the podcast series will be the same, but the format will allow a deeper and richer dive into particular topics. Watch this space.