THE SEEDS OF LEADERSHIP: FROM THE EXPERIENCES OF SENIOR MALAYSIAN WOMEN LEADERS

The scarcity of women holding top leadership positions in organisations not only reflects the gender equity issue, which is faced globally including Malaysia, but also indicates it as a phenomenon for the women leaders who managed to climb to the top as head of business organisations. This paper attempts to identify the 'seeds of leadership' that contributed towards women's success as head of business organisations. The lived leadership journeys of seven Malaysian women from the technology, private university, manufacturing, hospitality, and legal industry were examined. A hermeneutical phenomenological approach was used, and a purposive sampling technique was carried out. In-depth interviews were utilised, and data were analysed using the Atlas.ti qualitative data analysis software. The leadership identity construction theory (LICT) was employed in this study. Early personal developmental relationships and experiences contribute as antecedents to the leadership identity construction (LIC) of the senior women leaders. These formative relationships and experiences are concluded as being the 'seeds of leadership' that contributed to the development of the women's future LIC. While this study may not be generalised for profiling other women leaders in Malaysia, its novelty lies in the unique insights.