Developing the Positive Identity of Minoritized Women Leaders in Higher Education: How can Multiple and Diverse Developers Help With Overcoming the Impostor Phenomenon?

Abstract

Minoritized women remain underrepresented in leadership positions, especially within higher education (HE). A key barrier to advancement for women of color is their susceptibility to impostor phenomenon (IP). A developmental network where the minoritized woman receives developmental support from multiple individuals is a potentially powerful intervention that can help them advance their careers, but there is a general lack of research on IP in the context of minoritized women’s leadership development and the role of developmental support, especially with regards to multiple diversified developmental relationships. Therefore, this paper integrates various literature streams (leader development for minoritized women in higher education, IP, mentoring) and offers a conceptual framework that utilizes a developmental network perspective. The propositions offered explain how multiple developers can help minoritized women address IP and develop positive leader identities, as well as how both parties can better anticipate and handle challenges related to diversified developmental relationships in HE.

Black, African American, and Migrant Indigenous Women in Leadership: Voices and Practices Informing Critical HRD

“…Nickels and Kowalski-Braun (2012) confirm this by stating, “we cannot guide others towards authentic self-expression if we’re not willing to face the anxiety raised by being genuine” (p. 58). In their related comprehensive literature review on developing positive identity in minoritized women leaders in higher education, Manongsong and Ghosh (2021) found similar results claiming professional developers can support minoritized mentees impacted by imposter phenomena by supporting their development of positive leader identities grounded in the strengths each authentically brings to their leadership practice.…”

Mapping the Future of Intersectional Research in Human Resource Development: An Integrated Literature Review

“…The exception was Hutchins and Kovach (2019) which reviewed each institution’s grant proposal and website. The other half ( n = 12) were non-empirical studies, including perspective (Byrd, 2014; Davis et al, 2020; Johnson & Thomas, 2012; Lanier et al, 2022; Trusty et al, 2023), conceptual (Kang et al, 2015; Santamaría et al, 2022; Thomas et al, 2010), and literature review studies (Alfred et al, 2019; Manongsong & Ghosh, 2021; Sims, 2022; Syed & Ali, 2019).…”

“…Four articles on intersectional pedagogy and leadership did not have a specific national context (Lanier et al, 2022; Santamaría et al, 2022; Sims, 2022; Thomas et al, 2010). Various organizational contexts were also explored, including higher education (Davis et al, 2020; Hutchins & Kovach, 2019; Jean-Marie et al, 2009; Johnson & Thomas, 2012; Lloyd-Jones, 2009; Manongsong & Ghosh, 2021; Ngunjiri & Hernández, 2017; Thomas et al, 2010), K-12 schools (Bass, 2009), private military sectors (Hirudayaraj & Clay, 2019), and multiple organizations (Adikaram, 2018; Bass, 2009; Dillard & Osam, 2021; Ngunjiri, 2016).…”

The ‘Rich Pictures’ Method: Its Use and Value, and the Implications for HRD Research and Practice

“…In one of the rare usages of 'rich pictures' in HRD, timelines were used by black and ethnic minority leaders to reflect on their careers and the positive and negative experiences that had shaped them (Wyatt & Silvester, 2015). This reflection could lead to the creation of new career narratives which overcome the incongruence between personal and professional identities experienced for example by many Black female leaders (Manongsong & Ghosh, 2021). Without reflection, individuals may also become habituated to particular career narratives they have constructed (Hoyer & Steyaert, 2015) which may need to be adapted to provide congruence in new and changing environments (Humphrey & Humphrey, 2020).…”