Leadership Research Summary

Why am I doing this research?

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 as a concept 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 a book, and I decided to commit to doing it. I have expanded my own view to using my research and experience to write content that may include a book at some point, but I think there are different, modern and creative ways to share information not limited to a book.

What is the hypothesis?

The hypothesis of my research 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 creating content from the research?

If the hypothesis is true, then the purpose of creating content 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, agism 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 creating content 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 creating content 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 content to give people hope and even more confidence to embrace any difference they might have, even viewing it as a light to shine in a world that definitely needs more light.

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.

Who is the audience for the content?

This isn’t meant to be an academic exercise resulting in a peer-reviewed publication, but practical leadership content for the general public. The content 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 access it too!

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

Please email me directly – jae@apiscg.com

Interviewee Demographics