Leadership as identity construction: the act of leading people in organisations

Abstract

Purpose -The objective of this article is to explore and challenge the concept of leadership by presenting a perspective on leadership as identity construction. The perspective presented is based on premises from the complexity sciences. Design/methodology/approach -The article is based on a conceptual discussion. Findings -Leadership is better understood as identity construction. This is because leadership emerges in the interaction between people as the act of recognising and being recognised. Leaders' images of themselves are therefore social constructions and the development of a leadership self (and thereby leadership) is coupled to the interaction between leaders and followers.Research limitations/implications -The research is limited to a conceptual discussion. The findings need to be further explored and challenged by other methods. The discussion is focused on organisational leadership. Practical implications -Leaders do not always have the control that mainstream leadership theory suggests. The act of leadership is therefore better understood as identity construction. In the article the authors suggest a conceptual framework for reflecting on leadership identity because self-images influence people's acts as leaders. The concept of leadership is hence the ability to mobilise the discipline necessary to develop one's self by reflecting on identity in different contexts and coupling this to the acts of leadership. Originality/value -The principal contribution is a conceptual discussion on the concept of leadership. This contribution provides managerial ideas and insights into the act of leadership in organisations faced with increasing complexity.

Adaptive Challenges Require Adaptive Leaders

“…At the beginning of any leadership development process, a leader must first be able to self-identify as a leader (Epitropaki, Kark, Mainemelis, & Lord, 2017;Lord & Hall, 2005). Leadership is partially identified through the social interactions the leader makes with both internal and external stakeholders, further requiring leaders to identify themselves as leaders (Garavan, McGuire, & Lee, 2015;Karp & Helgø, 2009;Lord & Hall, 2005;Northouse, 2016). Garavan et al (2015) created a classification of development.…”

Identity Talk of Aspirational Ethical Leaders

“…If we accept that ethical leadership can be seen as temporal identity construction, then understanding leaders' life stories can increase our awareness of their identities (Karp and Helgø 2009). Narrative constructs identity (Brown 2006), resting on a temporal structure (Sonsino 2005).…”

Leadership, Identity, and Ethics

“…Understanding the relationship between identity and leadership can help us to understand individuals' development and future behaviors as a leader. Exploring the contextual variables can help explain how a leader may form an identity type (Karp and Helgo 2008). Finally, understanding the role of the follower in identity formation of the leader is an important avenue for exploration.…”