Authentic Leadership: An Engaged Discussion of LGBTQ Work as Culturally Relevant

Citation

Greg M. Latemore (2015), "Authentic Leadership: An Engaged Discussion of LGBTQ Work as Culturally Relevant", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 36 No. 8, pp. 1028-1030. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-05-2015-0093

The editors of this impressive little volume are well credentialed in this field. Joshua is director of the Resource Centre for sexual and gender diversity/lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender services and Women’s Centre programmes for the University of California. Joshua’s doctorate was in higher education and LGBTQ studies, with two additional master’s degrees, one in student affairs and diversity. Lemuel Watson is currently professor and dean at the University of South Carolina and formally the executive director for the Centre for P-20 Engagement. Lemuel is a Fulbright Scholar, a certified master coach and a certified systems engineer. The seven other authors are themselves well qualified and reflect qualifications and experience in sociology, student affairs, LGBTQ resource centres as faculty professors, programme directors and administrators.

The acronym “LGBTQ” in the book’s subtitle invites some initial comment. This initialism is variously understood. An internet search mostly renders the “Q” in LGBTQ as “questioning” while this book expands “Q” as “queer”. A kid’s help line in Australia prefers “questioning” to “queer”.

Those with LGBTQ orientation face significant challenges such as prejudice, discrimination, violence, stigma, harassment and high levels of suicide. In the educational system, the various authors testify to the fact that they often feel “shut out, marginalized and tokenized” (p. vii).

A fundamental assumption in this book is that everyone should “feel at home” but the truth is that many do not, especially those who have complex identities. The stories in this slim volume are sobering and, at times, heart rending, as the authors’ voices cry for understanding and acceptance in academic environments. The main audience for this book appears to be the faculty and administrators in the educational system.

Authentic Leadership presents eight (six) chapters:

Chapter 1: Identity and fluidity: processing sexuality, race and religion.

Chapter 2: Transcending boundaries and transforming knowledge: transgender leadership as a college student, mentor and educator.

Chapter 3: Crossroads and complexities: experiences of a queer, desi, Hindu man in student affairs.

Chapter 4: Everyone is bisexual: updating Klein’s model of the postmodern world.

Chapter 5: The knowledgeable counsellor: helping youth to deal with LGBTQ issues.

Chapter 6: Faculty speak: the influence of sexual orientation and spirituality on the social integration of black scholars.

Chapter 7: Transgressing African American manhood in College: when (non-hetero)sexuality anchors multiple identifiers.

Chapter 8: Conclusion and recommendations.

I was most challenged by Chapter 4 and the assertion that everyone is bisexual. I appreciated the careful updating of Klein’s (1978) model of bisexuality which postulated that sexual orientation is a complex manifestation of seven interacting variables: sexual attraction, sexual behaviour, sexual fantasy, emotional preference, social preference, sexual lifestyle and self-identification.

What is evident in this chapter and indeed, in many of the others, is the range and depth of the concepts being addressed, but not in a tokenistic manner. Each chapter is impressively referenced. Moreover, there is clearly a rich literature in this area, of which I was largely unaware, even as a scholar of leadership and authenticity.

I especially liked the final chapter with recommendations as it was difficult to transcend the personal anguish of each person’s narrative in each chapter towards any clear action. What does one do to respond to such emotional and reasonable calls for respect for such sexual and gender diversity? How does one respond effectively to such stigma and marginalisation, now knowing that LGBTQ people often mask and conceal their true identity from the mainstream populace? The last chapter helps to bring a clear voice to the lack of understanding and acceptance of LGBTQ people. The authors suggest that these actions would foster better understanding (p. 98):

• institute a campus committee that focuses on the climate for LGBTQ students, faculty and staff;

• provide and widely communicate methods for LGBTQ faculty, staff and students to report bias incidents, hate crimes and harassment;

• host social events to welcome LGBTQ faculty and staff in order for them to build networks and community;

• provide community resources during the recruitment process;

• ensure campus non-discrimination and equal opportunity policies are inclusive of gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation;

• provide regular and ongoing training to faculty, staff and students about gender and sexual diversity; and

• examine benefits and ensure they are inclusive of people with same-sex relationships as well as transgender people.

This book would have been enriched if there had been earlier exploration of the concept of multiple identities and a better orientation to the sobering realities for multi-gendered people. I also would have appreciated a brief history of the increasing awareness and legitimacy given to this issue. While I understand the dilemma for faculty and administrators who express a LGBTQ orientation, I would have liked even more strategies on how to mentor and support students with such orientation/s.

I was surprised and actually disappointed by the title. This is not a generalist book about authentic leadership such as one Rob Goffee or Gareth Jones or Bill George might write. This is a book – albeit an impressive one – primarily about LGBTQ issues, so why does not the main title reflect that focus? Why so disingenuous about the real topic, given the honesty and openness of the contributors’ stories? A more accurate and genuine title would have been LGBTQ Issues: Authentic Leadership in Respecting Sexual Identity in Educational Environments or even Authentic Leadership on LGBTQ Identity: Respecting Diversity in an Academic Environment (or similar). Moreover, the subtitle reference to “cultural relevance” earns little treatment: the book seems to give merely a “nod” to this aspect.

A real strength of this work is its depth, erudition, accessibility, honesty and openness. It is well researched but still tightly written. Its only weakness is that one needs to read each narrative in depth to appreciate the depth: there are few summaries and no integrating models.

This is a useful little book for those who work in faculty and administrative roles in school and university contexts. It shows depth and a refreshing expectation that the educational world need to do more to accept and foster diversity. While it is expensive for 100 pages in paperback, for those attuned to this topic, it is well worth the investment. The scholarship behind this book is impressive.

As a heterosexual with gay and lesbian family members and friends, minority sexual orientation has been well known and accepted. Nevertheless, transgender as a gender identity issue has not been part of my experience. This book highlights the challenges faced by those who do identify as LGBTQ. It is an erudite and sensitive treatise. I recommend it.