NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: North Slave Region, South Slave Region

Tags: social sciences, leadership

Objective(s): To share emerging leaders' stories of leadership in the North in a way that adds to the understanding, relationships, partnerships, and leadership development activities in the North.

Project Description: The main objective of this research is to share emerging leaders' stories of leadership in the North in a way that adds to our understanding, relationships, partnerships, and leadership development activities in the North. The researcher also endeavors to bring some benefit to the participants (and perhaps even to future emerging leaders), by providing an opportunity not only to be heard and seen by others in the leadership field, but also to gain further insight and self-understanding into their own stories of who they are as leaders and what they have to offer to their workplaces, families, and communities in the North. The objectives of the research are to explore the answers to the following questions: 1. How has each participant experienced leadership in his or her life? And, how does participation in a formal leadership program fit with his or her leadership journey? 2. How does the use of a qualitative approach of narrative analysis help to understand participants’ experience of leadership development? 3. Does engaging in a narrative about leadership affect an individual’s self-identity as a leader? The participant group will be recruited from the pool of graduates of the Northern Leadership Development Program at Aurora College. The group will be split into two: a control group and an interview group. The study will be conducted using a mixed methods approach with both quantitative and qualitative research tools. Both groups will complete a questionnaire either on-line or paper format. The interview group will then complete two sessions with the principal researcher, which will involve narrating life stories with prompts from and in discussion with the researcher. This will occur over two sessions either in person or over the phone. After all of the interviews are complete, both groups will complete the questionnaire again. The researcher will follow up with the interview group once more after data has been analyzed and interpreted for a final review of the results and discussion. The tools that will be used include: 1. Leader-Identity Scale - 12 item, 5 point Likert scale which assesses an individual's perception of identity as a leader. Permission for use of this tool has been obtained. 2. The Life Story Interview - 2 session interview with prompts and questions focused on different life stories as they relate to leadership and self-identity as a leader. This has been adapted for use in the leadership context and permission for use of the tool has been obtained. This research is driven by a passion for leadership and supporting emerging leaders' development. Through better understanding of emerging Northern leaders' leadership journeys, it is hoped that those involved in leadership development and the leadership field, in the North specifically, will be better able to support these leadership journeys in the future. Stories are a vital part of building community and by bringing these important leadership stories to light, it is possible community will be strengthened. By engaging in dialogue with the researcher about his or her leadership journey, each participant has an opportunity to see his or her role as a leader as important and worthy of attention in many different ways. To tell one's own story is to own it and possibly open up new ways of self-understanding and understanding in the larger leadership field. This may inspire more acts of leadership and future contributions and better developmental opportunities for leadership in workplaces, families and communities in the North. The results of the study will be accessible to all participants provided through a link on-line by email. Aurora College will also be given access to the dissertation. For all other members of the community, the study will be accessible upon request. In addition, the principal researcher will hold two public presentations, in Yellowknife and in Fort Smith, to share the study results and interpretation and engage in discussion with the community at large for those that are interested. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from September 15, 2016 to December 31, 2016.