Organisations have a responsibility to support LGBT leaders, says new report
Organisations must take responsibility for supporting LGBT leaders and nurturing a positive work climate, says new research.
Workplaces ought to provide a supportive infrastructure for LGBT employees, particularly for those who are developing their leadership potential, researchers say.
The study, led by Manchester Metropolitan University, specifically highlights the value of Authentic Leadership, and the nuanced benefits and challenges faced by LGBT leaders and other minority groups.
Authentic Leadership is an approach where workers authentically express their identity and sense of self, as opposed to putting on a persona.
In the new report, “Being LGBT and being an authentic leader: Contextualizing the experience of authentic leadership”, researchers found that Authentic Leadership can enhance an LGBT leader’s own leadership style and affirm their sense of identity, bringing opportunities that can be psychologically enriching.
Conversely, it can be hard for LGBT individuals to truly express themselves when navigating work environments that may be hostile towards LGBT and other minority groups.
Another set of constraints reflects the pressures to conform to stereotypes and an approach to leadership that assumes relationships only exist between a man and a woman.
Luke Fletcher, lead researcher and Professor of Psychology and Human Resource Management at Manchester Met, said: “Our research highlights the complex strengths and challenges around being an authentic leader as an LGBT individual and what can be done to support minority groups in the workplace.
“The study highlights the role of the organisation in this conversation and suggests it has a responsibility to support employees through tailored leadership development training and a positive inclusive work climate.”
Tailored training should incorporate activities that equip individuals to navigate tensions found with being an authentic leader as a LGBT person such as being a visible role model yet also fearing potential negative repercussions and stereotypical perceptions for doing so.
The research also calls on organisations to prevent LGBT leaders who are proactively making a difference in the workplace from being exploited as token ‘diversity and inclusion’ experts.
Alongside the benefits of being an authentic leader to the individual themselves, the study also explored the positive effect of visible LGBT role models in leadership positions.
Qualitative data was drawn from 23 LGBT individuals in various leadership positions, which was examined to uncover how they enact Authentic Leadership within their role.
Many participants of the study described their responsibility to channel their authenticity and leadership energies into facilitating inclusion within their team.
The study was funded by the British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grant.