Defy, Deserve, Desire: Leading From the Margins in Higher Education

Abstract

In Short An honest reckoning must begin with acknowledging that historically marginalized groups, including women, do not exist in a neutral leadership space, and sporadic movements are not sufficient to bring about change. Leaders who emerge from marginalized spaces have learned how to navigate against the odds, often using defiance, and employ leadership skills in ways that those in the center may not have developed and that have a uniquely important role and purpose in higher education. In addition to defiance, it is equally important for leaders, especially those who identify as women, to identify and claim what they deserve and desire as leaders. We must cocreate a path forward that holds space for a still-necessary defiance and an acknowledgment and embrace of what we deserve.