Problematizing Authentic Leadership: A Collaborative Autoethnography of Immigrant Women of Color Leaders in Higher Education

Abstract

The Problem

Authentic leadership literature is often seen as acontextual and unproblematic—leaders merely need to “know thyself” and “to thine own self be true.” Even when scholars like Eagly argue authenticity is a relational concept, it remains uncontextualized for those whose social identities set them apart from the majority within organizations and society.

The Solution

Through this collaborative autoethnography, we aim to illustrate the complexity of enacting authentic leadership as immigrant women of color who are leaders within predominantly White institutional contexts.

The Stakeholders

One audience for this article is other women of color with whom our experiences may resonate. A broader audience includes those in power within organizations who might use this article as fodder for crafting more inclusive spaces that support both the development of authentic leaders and the practice of relational authenticity.