Gender and leadership: what it is, what it was, and where it's going

Abstract

This chapter is introducing readers to A Research Agenda for Gender andLeadership during a momentous time -one where language is evolving quickly, there is ambiguity in how to speak without offending, and our feelings about identity -and who should lead -may feel destabilizing. We are in a time of transition where it is easy to get upset at the long history of inequity while simultaneously trying to build a world where all voices are heard. We may feel like we are walking on eggshells -not wanting to hurt those we do not understand. All of these unsettling feelings are valuable because it means we are learning. It is a rare event that education is totally comfortable -where we consume new ideas, swallow them whole, and have no problem with digestion. A level of vulnerability is necessary for leadership and change.As editors, we invite you into this discussion about gender and leadership knowing that the issues are not settled. We ask that readers contemplate the ideas in this volume with kindness and grace, to debate and disagree, and to do so with the loving aim of moving our field forward. You will not find answers to all of your questions in the pages that follow, but you will find the best thinking by leading scholars from around the world. These are not final views, but our greatest efforts at this moment in time, to understand more about gender and how it relates to leadership. This is the cutting edge where we will learn more together rather than condemning each other for offering a new perspective. Welcome to the conversation -it's not for the faint of heart! * * *We see the term gender all the time: on applications and surveys, we are told to 'check the box' for male or female; in news articles we read information about the gender pay gap; and we are encouraged to be gender inclusive in academic writing. The American Psychological Association (APA), in its Publication Manual (2020), instructs writers to use the most inclusive pronouns and