Exploring the Interconnections Between Indigenous Leadership and Collective Leadership (WITHDRAWN)

Abstract

Indigenous leadership offers a productive focus for the exploration of collective leadership. Indigenous leadership is often non-hierarchical, has to work both inside and outside of organisational boundaries, is contextually and culturally influenced, and shaped by a generational worldview focused on sustainable futures. Collective leadership theories emphasis social construction of leadership which requires exploration and investigation of context and shared understanding to lay the groundwork for collective action. Drawing on Indigenous leadership research, we present a four-year longitudinal and multi-qualitative study of a leadership program for young Australian Aboriginal people. An innovative source of data was the digital stories produced by participants of the project, which we have also analysed. Using an Indigenous social research epistemology to provide a rich methodological lens for exploring collective leadership through a process approach, we present empirical findings demonstrating the emergence of collective leadership. Based on our analysis, we argue that the interconnections between Indigenous and collective leadership provides a meaningful site for exploring the dimensions of collectively experienced and enacted leadership practices.