Building Sustainable Communities Through Inclusive Leadership

• In Event: Women Leading Around the World

Short Description

This presentation will explore inclusive leadership strategies employed by indigenous Malawian women leaders via mixed methods and grounded theoretical research. Findings suggest that the strategies utilized resulted in new policies and practices that ultimately transformed the quality of life for women and their communities.

Detailed Abstract

Women’s leadership is considered broadly to be participative and democratic (Northouse, 2013). This is so much more important when the leadership in question involves community development. The study on Malawian women leaders’ countercultural leadership styles demonstrated strategic inclusive leadership for achieving community sustainability. In this patriarchal society the culture is one that does not usually encourage the women to lead. The women who are leaders in this context lead against challenging odds, yet are called or feel convicted by the conditions of their constituents and communities to step into and accept the call to leadership. The effectiveness of such leadership cannot in all instances be accomplished unilaterally. An examination of women and leadership from a global perspective, finds that leadership is reflected for the most part by individuals in national positions. There is rare documentation in the literature on the leadership of indigenous women and how their leadership styles and approaches can inform new understandings of leadership practice.
One could argue that the patriarchal collectivist society could contribute to the cultural use of an inclusive leadership style (Madimbo, 2013; Escamilla, 2009). Escamilla (2009), for example points out that “consideration should be given to the fact that accepted norms of individuals in leadership roles includes characteristics and behaviors that were considered masculine in the past and are accepted as gender-neutral in today’s society”(p. 27).
Research Frameworks: The qualitative research project will be framed by and authentic leadership theoretical lens from a developmental perspective (Northouse 2013); Hope Leadership (Palmieri, 2013); Grounded Theory (Glaser & Horton, 2007; Scott, 2007)

The Research Questions, explored here include: How does their authentic leadership relate to the practice of leadership in their cultural context? What unique leadership strategies are employed by these women for effective leadership from an inclusive perspective? What has these women’s leadership has done for social change and social justice is explored (Denzin, Lincoln, & Smith, 2008); and the presentation documents the unique individual voices and styles of inclusive leadership in the Malawian culture by reporting on findings with an eye toward identifying emergent context-specific leadership theory that could complement or supersede extant theory (Lyles, 2009).
Research Methodology is mixed methods: a qualitative, grounded theoretical approach (Ellis, Adams & Bochner, 2011). Using both quantitative and qualitative methods to study the phenomenon of these women’s leadership practice strategies by using semi-structured interviews which were videotaped, a written critical incident, (Russ-Eft, Berrey, Boone, and Winkle, 2000 Seidman,1998) which would seek out vivid, dramatic or meaningful top of mind memories that highlight their strategies (25-3).
Research participant criteria included leaders who emerged, were selected or identified by their communities as formal or informal leaders in Malawi, ages 35 years and older. The participants were identified as leaders in their communities by election, positional occupation, leaders of community projects, or in advocacy or human rights professions, and were recommended by at least two other individuals as leaders in their community.
Initial research findings demonstrated inclusive leadership at the individual, local community, and national levels, in some instances the leader’s strategies included advocacy, with other leaders there was inclusion of small grassroots groups. Other leaders integrated small groups, government, and legislation. Case examples of these inclusive strategies will be part of the presentation.

Participant

• Carmela Nanton, Carmel Connections Inc.