Women in Leadership

Through observation, research, shared experiences, and collective wisdom gained from failure and success, this chapter explores best practice to help leaders navigate the challenges and demands that they encounter in their careers. The topics explored in this chapter are critical for males and females alike because they provide specific examples of best practice and research on how to become an effective leader. Yet they are especially relevant for women in leadership positions because data and scenarios are shared that shed light on the gender inequities that still exist in leadership today. Understanding the unique dynamics that women face and changing practices and approaches to address these issues are necessary. Each topic assists leaders in positioning themselves so they are optimizing their potential for success.

An Unlikely School Leader

This chapter examines the intersection of gender and personality, specifically addressing some of the issues that introverted women leaders may face. The author's personal experiences as an elementary school principal will be interwoven into the current research that highlights the underappreciated strengths of introverted women leaders. Personality traits and leadership styles of introverts are presented along with descriptions of the experiences of female leaders. The chapter ends by providing readers with ideas to support women and introverts in school to prepare them for future leadership roles.

Challenges for Asian American and Immigrant Asian Women in the U.S. Higher Education Administration

In spite of this rising presence and educational attainment, Asian American and immigrant Asian women are notably underrepresented in academic leadership roles. Asian American women fall far behind White females in leadership positions in higher education, especially in community colleges that are assumed to be more liberal in acceptances than four year universities while nurturing women in administrative positions. Only nine Asian American women held presidential positions in community colleges in 2010. There was no immigrant Asian woman who reached the supreme leadership position. This chapter explores the question: Why are Asian American and immigrant Asian women, in spite of their rising presence in academia, severely underrepresented in leadership roles in academic administration? This is the point of focus this chapter engages to study from existing research.

Women and Technology

This chapter looks at challenges for women in leadership in technical disciplines, specifically mechanical and civil engineering. It considers strategies being employed to correct the gender imbalance and highlights the particular challenges faced by women working in these disciplines. The chapter responds to these challenges by building on the need for changes in thinking highlighted by thought leaders in the 21st century, to suggest a way forward for creating change that directly relates to the role of women in leadership in the discipline. The chapter is relevant for scholars researching gender equality and also for university leaders in developing strategies for adopting women in leadership initiatives in a changing educational landscape. It will also be of interest to academics within these and related disciplines as well as academics involved in the delivery of professional development courses for women in leadership.

motherscholar

Having children negatively affects women's careers in higher education, and women in the academy are far less likely to marry and/or have children than women in other demanding professions. For those women that do ascend the academic ranks, they are far more likely to be unmarried or divorced, and childless. In fact, in 2015 only 32.4% of women held full professor positions in the academy. Clearly there are barriers in place that discourage/prohibit women both from becoming mothers and from being promoted from associate to full professor. Since attaining the rank of full professor is often a pathway to leadership in the academy, there also exists a problem of under-representation of women in leadership in higher education. In this chapter, the author explores the challenges and considers the possibilities of motherscholars becoming MotherLeaders in higher education.

Women Leaders Evolution in Our Society From the Perspective of a Son of a Women Leader

One of the most prevalent changes in my lifetime is the emergence of women leaders in almost every facet of American life. While the transformation of our society is an ongoing process and will probably take several more generations to complete, the author has watched our society gradually evolve from male domination toward one of equality for both genders and eventually maybe into a female-dominated one. This chapter identifies the women leaders who have influenced the author's life at home, in the classroom, in politics, and on TV.

The Challenges and Responsibilities of White Women in Leadership

Drawing on a larger study that initiated a dialogue about race and inclusion, the author examined the challenges and responsibilities of White women in higher education leadership through the lens of critical race theory. Though there is a need for women, from a feminist perspective, to confront the trend that higher education leadership continues to be White and male, there is more so a need for White women to interrogate the normative and oppressive nature of Whiteness. Because Whiteness is said to be overlooked within the narrative of feminism, White women are accused of perpetuating racism. Yet, very little research explores what happens when White women, particularly in higher education leadership, interrogate Whiteness. Contributing to the bodies of research on feminism, racism, Whiteness, and leadership within the context of higher education, the author presents strategies that could address the polarizing effects of feminism; discusses implications that go beyond institutional type; and provides directions for future research.

The “Double-Whammy” of Being Black and a Woman in Higher Education Leadership

The purpose of this chapter is to inform readers and to expand their understandings about specific challenges and solutions that are associated with the leadership of Black women in higher education. In particular, this chapter will present the views and experiences of two African American females, one being a new department chair at a small liberal arts college and the other being a new community college dean, committed to social justice and servant leadership. Using critical race theory, Black feminist perspectives, and intersectionality, the authors seek to document their investigation of society and culture through the sharing of their own lived experiences. Through their auto-ethnographies, the authors also answer the call to discuss how racial and gendered identities inform leadership development in order to challenge hegemonic discourses in higher education leadership.

Women in Higher Education Leadership

Women face many challenges when it comes to leadership in higher education. The experiences of women in leadership are not monolithic, particularly in terms of race. This chapter seeks to illuminate the realities of five women of a variety of races/ethnicities who self-identify as leaders in higher education. Five cisgender women of varying races/ethnicities were interviewed to share specific challenges, issues, strategies, and solutions associated with being a woman in higher education leadership. Specifically, the races/ethnicities of the women who were interviewed include Native American, Black, Chinese, Korean, and White. This chapter will focus on their experiences through the intersectional lens of race and gender.

Mentoring Female Leaders at Multiple Levels in One Higher Education Institution

This chapter includes a case study of female leaders in one higher education institution where there are more female leaders than male leaders. The authors seek to explain the mentoring involved to develop the female leaders of this institution. The objective of this chapter is to determine what types of mentoring takes place for women interested in leadership positions. The purpose is to make those mentoring programs, whether formal or informal, more available to any female interested in seeking a position of leadership.