Phenomenological Storytelling: How identity-based leadership stories in professional sports serve as an approach to integrate self and work-place narratives
Rebelo, D. (Roger Williams University)
This research presumed formative experiences matter to professional sports leaders (National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association and ultraathletes/running), and can be meaningfully brought into being, through career. To that end, this study’s purpose was to explore how professional sports leaders experienced formative, influential moments in their life-work story. The research question posed was: “How do leaders effectively understand how formative life moments hold meaning in the work-life narrative leading to a deeper understanding of self?” Given our society’s affinity for sports and the complexity of leading a professional sports organization, this study was positively disruptive in nature; its results implied that leadership style and approach are richly connected to often unexplored identity formation experiences in one’s past. Furthermore, these stories disclosure uncommon content from leaders not typically shared in public planned interviews. Key findings emerged through themes including (a) a desire to arrest the moment and explore past previously unshared personalized experiences, (b) becoming aware of the need to bring a past moment to their present leadership communication practice of storytelling, (c) moving from uncertainty to a desire to share more of their past in the exchange, (d) increasing awareness of how vital a past lived experience is to sharing what is valuable and meaningful to others in their life, (e) the desire to make known their renewed understanding of the emotions felt and self knowledge gained through
reflective storytelling.
This research presumed formative experiences matter to professional sports leaders (National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association and ultraathletes/running), and can be meaningfully brought into being, through career. To that end, this study’s purpose was to explore how professional sports leaders experienced formative, influential moments in their life-work story. The research question posed was: “How do leaders effectively understand how formative life moments hold meaning in the work-life narrative leading to a deeper understanding of self?” Given our society’s affinity for sports and the complexity of leading a professional sports organization, this study was positively disruptive in nature; its results implied that leadership style and approach are richly connected to often unexplored identity formation experiences in one’s past. Furthermore, these stories disclosure uncommon content from leaders not typically shared in public planned interviews. Key findings emerged through themes including (a) a desire to arrest the moment and explore past previously unshared personalized experiences, (b) becoming aware of the need to bring a past moment to their present leadership communication practice of storytelling, (c) moving from uncertainty to a desire to share more of their past in the exchange, (d) increasing awareness of how vital a past lived experience is to sharing what is valuable and meaningful to others in their life, (e) the desire to make known their renewed understanding of the emotions felt and self knowledge gained through
reflective storytelling.
Exploring the landscapes of self and other in the journal entries of young women
Karagiozis, N. (University of Ottawa)
This paper explores the lived experiences of young women as these are unfolded in the pages of their personal journals. This
paper endeavors to capture the essence of journal writing and more specifically, to investigate how adolescent girls use their
private writing engagements as means to delve into the quest of their identity search. This is a qualitative analysis of the
narratives written and discussed by my participants through sharing their journal entries, engaging in interviews and completing questionnaires on how written language is used to study the landscapes of self and other, to empower self and differentiate from others. Their cultural and historical formation, in relation to the specific variability of their interactions with the world, shapes their engagements and the expression of their ‘inner’ lives. Issues related to the understanding of aspects of language, inner-speech, self-expression, and power relationships are of importance and discussed. The findings of the study indicate that young women engaging in journal writing, use the journal as a not-me possession, as a Transitional Object and through their omnipotent relationship with the journal they commence their engagements and relationship with the external world. The use of the journal as transitional object is discussed as a typifying phase in those girls’ social, psychical and emotional development, as a secure sphere in which experience of self is not challenged or threatened and as a defense against
difficult realities.
This paper explores the lived experiences of young women as these are unfolded in the pages of their personal journals. This
paper endeavors to capture the essence of journal writing and more specifically, to investigate how adolescent girls use their
private writing engagements as means to delve into the quest of their identity search. This is a qualitative analysis of the
narratives written and discussed by my participants through sharing their journal entries, engaging in interviews and completing questionnaires on how written language is used to study the landscapes of self and other, to empower self and differentiate from others. Their cultural and historical formation, in relation to the specific variability of their interactions with the world, shapes their engagements and the expression of their ‘inner’ lives. Issues related to the understanding of aspects of language, inner-speech, self-expression, and power relationships are of importance and discussed. The findings of the study indicate that young women engaging in journal writing, use the journal as a not-me possession, as a Transitional Object and through their omnipotent relationship with the journal they commence their engagements and relationship with the external world. The use of the journal as transitional object is discussed as a typifying phase in those girls’ social, psychical and emotional development, as a secure sphere in which experience of self is not challenged or threatened and as a defense against
difficult realities.