The Influence of Faith on Women in Leadership Positions

Stephen F Austin State University, Baker Pattillo Student Center

Women are still underrepresented in leadership roles and still suffer from gender stereotypes and injustice. Women of faith are frequently stigmatized by both their faith and place of employment. This study is about women of faith who held leadership roles in rural communities. The objective of this study is to examine the experiences of women of faith in leadership, their qualities, and knowledge as effective leaders. The data used in this study is secondary and it was obtained from a parent study entitled, “Women Ascending to Leadership Positions in Rural Nonprofit Organizations.” This parent study used a snowball approach to interview 32 women who were serving in leadership roles in rural nonprofit organizations. The current study used a phenomenological qualitative approach to determine how their faith influenced their leadership ascension. It is necessary to investigate the journey of women’s leadership development to identify how to best develop future female leaders in nonprofit organizations in rural communities. There is limited research regarding women’s leadership experiences in rural organizations and faith.