Being LGBT and being an authentic leader: Contextualizing the experience of authentic leadership

Abstract

The extant literature on authentic leadership (AL) has neglected to consider how the experience of AL may be particularly challenging for minoritized leaders. This research advances knowledge by contextualizing AL for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) leaders who represent a unique minoritized group. Using qualitative data from 23 LGBT individuals in various leadership positions, we examine, via an abductive approach, how they try to enact AL within their role. Our first contribution, developed through template analysis, is that we enhance knowledge about the challenges and opportunities that AL presents for LGBT leaders. Our second contribution is that we build upon our template to create a new framework that advances a contextualized understanding of AL for LGBT leaders. In doing so, we introduce three theoretical propositions and identify important avenues for future research that further explore how context shapes AL behaviour, how AL is subjectively interpreted and experienced by leaders themselves, as well as in how AL scholarship can better consider issues around inclusion. Our results highlight the importance of organizations in helping LGBT leaders manage the unique challenges they experience with AL, such as through tailored leadership development and a positive diversity climate.