Women’s Leadership Development: A Study of Defining Moments

Abstract

This article reports the findings of a grounded theory study of “defining moments” that were described as pivotal in the personal and professional journeys of women who had been identified as emerging leaders within Christian higher education. Analysis of transcripts from interviews with 16 participants in a Women's Leadership Development Institute revealed three patterns of response as these women identified what they perceived to be their “most defining moment:” (a) someone speaking potential, sometimes as succinctly as a single sentence, into their lives, leading to a reframing of self-perception; (b) encountering a person or situation that resulted in reframing the participant's understanding of leadership in ways that allowed these women to begin perceiving themselves as leaders; and (c) experiencing a situation that led to feeling compelled to stand up for a conviction or strong belief. Relevant literature related to leadership development, the impact of gender on leadership, Christian higher education leadership, and defining moments is presented. A discussion of the implications for Christian higher education follows the summary of findings.