What is "culturally competent feminist leadership"?
How can we begin to define a set of competencies that can be studied and taught?
How can we assess these competencies?
As women have increasingly assumed leadership roles in a variety of organizations there has been a growing awareness that a feminist leadership style may differ in very important ways from the traditional male model of leadership. Since Carol Gilligan wrote her widely read book In a Different Voice: Psychology Theory and Women's Development there has been increased understanding and respect for the feminist voice in our culture. In particular, feminists have tended to value and foster a more collaborative approach to interpersonal relationships, including those in the work place.
It is interesting to note the many work places are already adopting what we would argue is a feminist approach to leadership. In fact, traditional "top-down" hierarchical leadership models are losing favor. The old style paternalistic system tends to result in employees who feel disempowered and devalued by their organizations. This tends to stifle enthusiasm and creativity. Collaborative leaders encourage active participation and value contributions from all employees involved in a process. Other changes that reflect this feminist orientation include fostering a more "person friendly" environment that encourages more appreciation for the whole person and for honoring commitments outside of the work place to one's self, one's family and one's community.
This chapter will be devoted to the issue of how we might assess feminist leadership styles. If we want to assess and foster culturally competent feminist leadership we will need to first define the personal attributes, behaviors and values that constitute such leadership. In addition, we are interested in understanding how an effective feminist leadership style might also incorporate a culturally competent perspective that is respectful of a variety of different cultural backgrounds and contexts. In fact, we would suggest that the feminist perspective blends seamlessly with cultural competence in the area of leadership. It is interesting to note that some widely used leadership assessment tools utilize a "360 degree" perspective that gathers input from everyone in the organizational structure. This assessment approach is philosophically compatible with a culturally competent feminist leadership model and might be incorporated into how we assess competent leadership in this area. In looking at how to assess competency in this area we can be positive force in developing leaders who embrace a culturally competent feminist leadership style.
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