Themes

In this chapter, I draw together salient themes that emerged from the interviews with women leaders. The first theme concerns the conflicts that arise when institutional objectives are at odds with personal convictions. The second theme relates to care and relationships. Gender and embodiment constitutes the third theme. Intersectional identity constitutes the fourth, and anxiety represents the final theme. Then, I briefly discuss two outlying themes that have phenomenological importance. Finally, I bring together the different strands of this discussion to consider how these women’s descriptive accounts shed light on the interconnections among gender, authenticity and leadership. Throughout, I connect these themes with Arendt’s reflections on leadership.