Mentoring and Leader Identity Development: A Case Study

Abstract

This study explored the influence of a formal mentoring program on the leader identity development of participants and how they developed their leader identity during their participation in a nondegree leadership development certification program. The central research question of this study was: How does a participant's identity as a leader develop over time and what influence does a formal mentoring program have on the formation of a leader identity. A qualitative case‐study approach with in‐depth semi‐structured interviews was used to gather the perspectives of participants and mentors. The study included 25 research participants including 11 mentor dyads. Three themes emerged from the data: (a) the mentor partnership–leader identity discovery, (b) leader identity development through critical learning moments, and (c) leader identity development through self‐knowledge. Findings of this research suggest that adult learning principles are instrumental components to the leader identity development process. The participants believed that their formal mentoring experience was pivotal to the discovery and development of their leader identity. Additionally, critical reflection on the critical learning moments was another of the key factors that led to their development of their identity as a leader. Suggestions for future research include: (a) the effects of adult learning approaches on leader identity development, and (b) the effect mentoring may have on the different stages of identity development.