Leader Identity Development: Experiences of Women Leaders in Corporate Law Firms
Open AccessThere is a growing scholarly inquiry focusing on leader identity development. However, such research has evolved largely as gender-neutral, and there are no studies on the subject in the legal profession. The purpose of this basic interpretive qualitative study was to understand how, despite all structural and organizational barriers, women lawyers were developing their leader identity in corporate law firms. The study used integrative theory of leader development and role congruity theory. Twenty-one women leaders in governance committees of 100 top U.S. law firms were interviewed. The study found that leader identity development is a lifelong process contingent on societal expectations and values. This process occurs through challenging professional experiences, where women reflect on and learn from them. Role models, informal mentors, and organizational environment of masculine-gendered law firms were found to influence the participants' leader identity development. The findings provide directions for aspiring women leaders to intentionally seek developmental leadership experiences and the help of mentors. Corporate law firms' management should look critically at their organizational environment and implement changes conducive to women leader identity development. Findings contribute to the nascent scholarly conversation on women leader identity development and professional services firms. Further research should focus on examining the longitudinal nature of leader identity development, generational comparisons of women leaders, the role of mentoring, other organizational environments, and intersectionality of women's other salient identities.
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Sztandur_gwu_0075A_16076.pdf | 2022-10-04 | Open Access |
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