Suit Up: The Archetypes of Leadership that Allow Black and Latinx Engineers to Succeed
Board Location: #119
Discipline: Science and Mathematics Education
Subcategory: Education
Session: 3
Angel Nyaga - Carnegie Mellon University
Co-Author(s): Katreena Thomas PhD, Clemson University; Brooke Coley PhD, Arizona State University
Engineering education strives to produce engineering leaders, however there has been little research focusing on the leadership experiences of engineers with marginalized identities. This study establishes archetypes of leadership that promote career satisfaction and professional success for early career Black engineers. This work aimed to answer: What traits of leadership do Black engineers apply in order to be successful in their fields? This study is guided by Racial Identity Theory and intersectionality. Racial identity theory examines the significance an individual places on their sense of belonging to their race. Intersectionality is centered around accepting that a marginalized group is not a monolith, and different intersections of identity impact one’s experience. This study focuses on the stories of five Black and/or Latinx engineering students and young professionals. Semi-structured interviews lasting between 1-2 hours were conducted. Thematic analysis was used to identify leadership archetypes of the participants that supported their success in engineering leadership. This study revealed two unique archetypes of leadership: proactive leadership and self-preserving leadership. Stemming from non-traditional forms of leadership, these archetypes are defined by subtleness and personalization. Proactive leaders are driven by their need to solve goals. While they share the same drive to problem solve as traditional leaders, they are not equipped with high levels of charisma. They simply see a problem in their environment and choose to execute what’s necessary to fix it. Self-preserving leaders are defined by their ability to overcome difficult circumstance while maintaining their identity. Due to the harsh environments that often surround this type of leader, they are able to use their unique traits to find creative solutions. These traits include observation, active listening, and nurturing authentic connections. While, this study shows ways in which marginalized engineers can succeed through leadership, it begs a bigger question on how we should be defining success for this group. Within this study, success is defined by the ability to gain academic and professional success despite obstacles that set them up for failure. However, despite the ‘success’ of students with these archetypes, they often struggle to find motivation to stay in their field due to the racialized and damaging challenges that continue to influence their journeys. More research is needed on identifying eliminating these obstacles so success can be redefined to focus on authenticity and satisfaction.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): Arizona State UniversityNational Science Foundation
Faculty Advisor: Katreena Thomas PhD, katreet@clemson.edu
Role: Within this project, I transcribed interviews, analyzed the discussions, and developed conclusions to create an abstract.