Mentoring and Leader Identity Development: A Case Study

• Author: Douglas Muir
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21194
• Date: 01 September 2014
• Published date: 01 September 2014

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY, vol. 25, no. 3, Fall 2014 © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) • DOI: 10.1002/hrdq.21194 349

ARTICLES

Mentoring and Leader Identity

Development: A Case Study

Douglas Muir

This study explored the infl uence of a formal mentoring program on the

leader identity development of participants and how they developed

their leader identity during their participation in a nondegree leadership

development certifi cation program. The central research question of this

study was: How does a participant’s identity as a leader develop over

time and what infl uence does a formal mentoring program have on the

formation of a leader identity. A qualitative case-study approach with

in-depth semi-structured interviews was used to gather the perspectives

of participants and mentors. The study included 25 research participants

including 11 mentor dyads. Three themes emerged from the data: (a)

the mentor partnership–leader identity discovery, (b) leader identity

development through critical learning moments, and (c) leader identity

development through self-knowledge. Findings of this research suggest

that adult learning principles are instrumental components to the leader

identity development process. The participants believed that their formal

mentoring experience was pivotal to the discovery and development of

their leader identity. Additionally, critical refl ection on the critical learning

moments was another of the key factors that led to their development of

their identity as a leader. Suggestions for future research include: (a) the

effects of adult learning approaches on leader identity development,

and (b) the effect mentoring may have on the different stages of identity

development.

Key Words: mentoring, leader identity, leadership development

Introduction and Background

Much has been written about the characteristics of leaders and general lead-

ership development over the last 30 years. Many researchers have tried to

tackle the complex issue of what leadership development should encompass

350 Muir

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY • DOI: 10.1002/hrdq

(Ayman, Adams, Fisher, & Hartman, 2003; Barker, 1997; Bass, 1990; Bennis,

1984; Day, 2001; Klenke, 1993; McCauley, Moxley, and Van Veslor, 1998;

Reiner & Morris, 1987; Yukl, 2002). Yet there have been very few attempts to

track an individual’s leadership development process. This lack of attention is

somewhat surprising given statements such as the following by Bass (1990),

who indicated, “Leadership development is a continuing process. Thus, peers,

superiors, as well as family and friends, shape one’s subsequent performance

as a leader” (p. 911). According to Hernez-Broome and Hughes (2004), there

has been a proliferation of new leadership development methods and pro-

cesses, while little research has been done to learn about the process of leader-

ship development (Day & O’Conner, 2003).

Leadership development scholarship predominantly focuses on skill

building or short-term interventions rather than on the creation or devel-

opment of a leader’s identity. A leader identity refers to how one thinks of

oneself as a leader (Day, 2001). This aspect is extremely important for lead-

ers because it grounds them in an understanding of who they are. Day and

Harrison (2007) point out that incorporating an “identity lens into leadership

development efforts is long overdue” (p. 371). Additionally, Petriglieri (2011)

conceptualizes leadership learning as an identity workspace in which it is

important to work within three areas: the participants’ experiences of leading

and following, making sense of their life stories as part of their identities, and

their emotions and the unconscious.

Therefore, although looking at leadership development through the lens

of the participant is a subjective approach, it focuses on how people reason

and how they develop in response to their experiences. This development or

growth is manifested in who they are or, in other words, their identity. Day

and Harrison (2007) argued that if leadership development is to be effective

it needs to be focused on leaders’ sense of identity. Identity, they posited,

is the source of meaning from which leaders operate. Avolio and Gardner

(2005) highlighted this concept when they suggested that leaders need to

be anchored in a sense of self. This then allows leaders to organize and give

meaning to their behavior.

“Self-awareness is not a destination point, but rather an emerging pro-

cess where one continually comes to understand his or her unique talents,

strengths, sense of purpose, core values, beliefs and desires. It can include

having a basic and fundamental awareness of one’s knowledge, experience,

and capabilities” (Avolio & Gardner, 2005, p. 324). Focusing on how a leader

identity develops, beyond simply learning a set of tools and skills, may add

more understanding to the leadership development process.

Leadership development programs often include formal mentoring as

part of the overall program (Hegstad, 1999; Hegstad & Wentling, 2004). Day

(2001) reported that in a survey of over 350 companies involved in lead-

ership development, the efforts that reported the most success included

a formal mentoring program. Mentoring may be considered to be an