The Dynamic Nature of Leader Identity Development

Abstract

Leadership is complex: at its core, it deals with influencing and developing unique individuals in unique contexts. Equally complex is the construction of leaders’ identities and how they are developed. Existing research focused on identity work and leader development acknowledges some, but not all of the dynamic aspects that affect leaders’ identities, resulting in incomplete theories and understanding of how leaders develop both internally and in response to experience and external expectations. Recognizing this limitation in current research, my dissertation focuses on answering this question: How do we identify, understand, cultivate, and leverage the complex and dynamic nature of leader identity development? By dynamic, I mean that leader development is not one-dimensional or isolated; it is not linear or continuous; its effects are not uniform. My work explores and illustrates a number of these dynamic aspects. First, there are multiple standards and motivators of leadership behavior, including one’s internal self-concept and leader identity as well as the organization’s or role’s external expectations. How well each is developed and integrated is important to a leader’s sense of self and their professional success. The path of leader development is non-linear, as early-stage leaders often step into and out of direct leadership roles; I question what impact these micro role transitions may have. The development of leaders’ behaviors and perceptions are non-continuous as they experiment with their leader identities, and this development occurs at non-uniform rates in how their perceptions of others versus themselves as leaders change. My dissertation is inspired and informed by 25 years of my own leader identity development, through personal growth and leader experiences mostly in the US Army, and cultivating the same for others at various stages of their careers. As I explore and make sense of the dynamism of leader identity development, I integrate research on identity (Alvesson & Willmott, 2002; Ashforth & Mael, 1989; Caza, Vough, et al., 2018; DeRue & Ashford, 2010; Hogg & Terry, 2000; Ibarra, 1999; Kegan, 1994; Lord & Hall, 2005; Miscenko & Day, 2016; Stryker & Burke, 2000), leader development (Day et al., 2014; Day & Dragoni, 2015; Day & Harrison, 2007; Miscenko et al., 2017; van Knippenberg, 2011), awareness and authenticity (Atwater & Yammarino, 1997; Gardner et al., 2005; Kernis, 2003), role transitions (Ashforth, 2001; George et al., 2021; Levinson, 1978; Lieberman, 1956), and feedback (London, 2003; London & Smither, 2002; Toegel & Conger, 2003). I approach the topic by developing theory, conducting quantitative empirical analysis, and providing in-depth illustrations and critical insights. My first chapter proposes a theory of leader identity development focused at the individual level, that moves beyond siloes of internal reflection about their own values and goals and external assessments of organizational metrics of success. In reality, identities develop more fully by incorporating cross-view perspectives, integrating external feedback on their internal goals and standards of success, and intentionally assessing their own performance in line with the organization’s external expectations. I walk through how this dynamic approach to identity development mitigates the imperfections of traditional identity work and performance feedback, and also aids leaders in constructing a harmonious identity by identifying and resolving any conflict between internal and external priorities. My second chapter analyzes in-depth one contributing factor to a leader’s identity, direct experience, which requires a leader to simultaneously consider their own internal and external expectations, ultimately – and repeatedly – deciding how they should appropriately behave in that particular situation (March & Olsen, 2004). I look specifically at the dynamic, non-linear nature of leadership experience, asking what impact stepping into and out of leadership roles has on leader behaviors and perceptions. I leverage a natural field experiment of over 3,000 military cadets at West Point, who were randomly assigned to leadership and non-leadership roles, analyzing feedback they provided, as an indicator of their development of others as a core aspect of their leadership role. My analysis using multi-level linear regression revealed that those in formal leadership roles provided more critical lateral and upward feedback, and were less critical when they stepped out of the leadership role, but not as favorable as before they occupied the role. This change in how early-stage leaders provide feedback in response to role transitions suggests non-continuous development of their leader identity, in line with Ibarra’s (1999) idea of experimenting with provisional selves and selectively incorporating aspects into their identity, regardless of their current role. Additionally, having found no significant change in self-views either during or after leadership role occupation suggests non-uniformity in leader development, in terms of how they perceive and behave toward others, and how they see and assess themselves. My third chapter presents a number of rich first and second-hand experiences that illustrate leader identity development and suggest patterns at three general stages of one’s career. My combination of robust personal involvement and academic professional distance (Anteby, 2013) contributes unique and valuable insights from the use of cross-view perspectives and responding to transitions in and out of leadership roles toward my own and others’ leader identities. I reflect upon and analyze steps taken to honoring my internal values, goals, and passions for leadership, while also navigating the external expectations and measures of success. I conclude with personal lessons learned for both individuals and leaders or mentors or others in deliberately cultivating a more holistic and harmonious identity. My work collectively contributes to a more nuanced understanding of both leader identity and identity development more broadly, drawing attention to the dynamic composition of one’s identity, the path of development, and its outcomes of leader behaviors, perspectives, and career decisions. I contribute the novel ideas of leveraging cross-view perspectives toward identity development, as well as looking at the feedback leaders provide as an indicator of their development. Practically, my work has implications especially for early-stage leaders, informing and inspiring them to agency in their early identity development. However, I also show the relevance of understanding the dynamic nature of one’s identity across the span of one’s career, and encourage additional research that explores the unique effects of leader development moderated by cumulative experience or career stage. I conclude with a fruitful path of future research expanding upon the dynamic aspects of leader identity development. We can and should develop interventions to validate and assess the impact of cross-view assessments, while also exploring ways of understanding and measuring the holistic and harmonious extent of leaders’ identities. We can also leverage the extensive use of multi-source feedback to look specifically at the change in how leaders provide feedback, and identify what metrics may be meaningful to reflect their development. Each of these paths of exploration are ripe with opportunities to better understand and leverage the dynamic nature of leader identity development.