Breaking the Barriers of Essentialism in Leadership Research: Positionality as a Promising Approach

This article reviews the promise of using positionality theory for expanding our knowledge of leadership. Based on a critique of leadership studies that have traditionally maintained a simplistic view of social identities (particularly race and gender), the authors suggest that our understanding of leadership remains partial. Using empirical research results by Adrianna Kezar that examined leadership in a higher education context using a positionality theory framework, the authors describe the benefits of using this framework and the challenges faced by the researchers. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of reconceptualizing leadership research from a positionality perspective.