236 - Bringing to Light Women Leaders’ Agility in Crisis

Abstract Information: Historically, there has been a dearth of research focused on women in leadership positions, particularly during crisis. To give voice to these leaders who experience additional challenges in the workplace in balancing family, organization, and in many cases, standing up for constituencies and communities who traditionally have less power, we focused on a sample of women whose positions are in various ways of service to others. The study explored the many ways that women leaders across sectors have pivoted, tumbled, and ultimately transformed their leadership practice in order to serve their constituencies. We conducted a study using a mixed-method analysis of selected women leaders from before and after start of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing social and economic crises. This study was designed to understand better how women leaders' behavioral profiles have been reinvented during this difficult time. A well tested leadership assessment (the Connective Leadership Model, based on preferred behaviors) was used as a quantitative pre-post assessment. All participants had completed the leadership assessment prior to being trained in the concept and the application of the model and completed the assessment again well into the pandemic. This quantitative measure of change was paired with a reflective and qualitative component to encourage the storytelling of the context and the behavior changes during crisis. Thus, a secondary benefit to the research resulted in the empathy and support provided to participants in self-reflection and acknowledgement of their shifts and the resulting successes. The leads of this session will share how these women of courage accepted the challenges when everyone looked to them, counted on them, expected them to guide the organization or team in determining the means to solve complex problems. Researchers will also highlight the criticality of maintaining integrity, considering ethical risks, and the importance of considering context in our evaluation endeavors.