Women Leaders and Sponsorship: Navigating the Complex Life Cycle of Professional Relationships

• In Event: Leadership at the Intersections: Navigating Identity, Representation, and Equity in Educational Leadership

Abstract

This paper presents findings from a year-long transformative autoethnographic study on the professional development experiences of female leaders. Employing a critical methodological and cross-disciplinary approach, the study focused on the complex dynamics of professional networks at the intersection of various identities. The participants were five women leaders (including the faculty research lead) enrolled in an organizational leadership program. These women represented a cross-section of professional fields. Based on their insider perspectives, participants identified key turning points for staying or leaving such relationships and practical strategies women could employ to leverage developmental networks for career advancement and organizational impact.

Authors

• Kathy-Ann C. Hernandez, Eastern University

• Ashlee Williams, Eastern University

• LaToya Wells, Eastern University

• Faith Ann Butcher, Eastern University

• Courtney Maloof, Eastern University