*3.5. Upon Reflection, Managing Self and Others Differently with Agility and Style*

Reflection indicated that these leaders learned, often the hard way, that they had to manage and lead themselves in order to provide effective leadership for others. In demonstrating a greater accessibility, they were more open to receiving and incorporating feedback. Overall, these women leaders shifted in response to their situations, both personally and professionally in order to support their teams, reflecting the Meta-Leadership skill of situational awareness as well as exhibiting adaptability. The need to be more attuned to the needs of others, particularly their teams, emerged as a dominant theme, as reflected by one participant:

"I have also been reminded of how we have to work with and beside others in new ways that we did not before. I think that the crisis made me better because it made me grow and adapt very quickly and pivot when the situation called for it."

This agility or adaptability was referred to as a greater flexibility in leadership across teams and the organization as whole, with an intentional focus on organizational culture. This adaptability mirrors the connectivity of the effort principle of Meta-Leadership [25] in crises, as seen in one leader's experience:

"When the pandemic first hit the impact of a pandemic on education was significant; how we had to come together as a community and as leaders and staff. We focused on all families, but especially on the very vulnerable. We were managing ambiguity, fear and anxiety. The teachers were pushed to instruct online overnight, which engaged the union and the teachers' needs. We pooled our resources and engaged our partners to meet the students' academic and their socio-emotional needs."

These reported shifts in how this group of women leaders reflect important facets of the Connective Leadership Model [1] Leadership profiles in 2022. Nearly all of the leaders expanded their repertoire, indicating a greater range of styles that could be employed in accordance with the situation at hand. Additionally, for many, some of the previously preferred leadership behaviors were relied on less often, with a focus on newer, previously less frequently used styles. Shifts were also observed towards working more with and through people (instrumental styles) as related to the aforementioned discussion on empathy and teamwork, but in some cases, direct and relational styles also grew in use.

#### **4. Discussion**

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges for women leaders across various sectors. In this article, we delve into the multifaceted experiences of women leaders during the pandemic, examining the internal and external forces that have shaped their leadership practices and how they have adapted and transformed in response.

The Connective Leadership Model [1] is a foundational framework for understanding how women leaders respond to a crisis. This model recognizes the importance of interconnectivity and diverse leadership styles in guiding groups of individuals with different backgrounds and perspectives. It offers nine achieving styles that connective leaders can draw upon to lead diverse teams effectively. Our mixed-method analysis sought a comprehensive understanding of women's leadership behaviors before and during the pandemic. By combining quantitative data and qualitative insights, we gained valuable insights into the unique circumstances faced by women leaders during the crisis and how it influenced their work dynamics.

One crucial aspect we explored was the emotional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women and their work. The pandemic placed significant psychological and emotional burdens on women in the workplace. Balancing personal and professional responsibilities, coping with increased workloads, and managing stress and burnout became significant challenges for women leaders. Our study aimed to delve into these aspects to understand the long-term effects of the pandemic better and emphasize the importance of supporting women's mental well-being. We analyzed the findings of our study in detail, uncovering several nuanced aspects that merit further consideration [7,8].

Firstly, we observed a significant reciprocal relation between participants' adaptive prowess and the Connective Leadership Model [1], suggesting applicability and flexibility in helping to assess and direct individuals, teams, and organizations to achieve greater and more fulfilling success through its emphasis on diversity and interdependence. However, it is important to note that our study design was exploratory, limiting our ability to establish a definitive cause-and-effect relationship. Future research employing more participants and experimental methods could help to illuminate the Connective Leadership Model [1] more robustly as a mechanism that validates its applicability across cultures and other diverse demographics. Additionally, we identified the Crisis Leadership Meta-Leadership Model [4] as a valuable lens for observing the relationship between adaptability and access to a repertoire of leadership behaviors. These observations warrant further investigation into the roles and implications for the women's leadership profiles in this study and how they unified large and small groups of people to work together for a common purpose [4,7,9,11]. Furthermore, while our sample size was adequate for our analysis, it is crucial to acknowledge that it may not fully represent the diversity of the population, which could affect the generalizability of our findings.

Our analysis revealed that the agility and adaptability required to navigate new leadership challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic were essential for the resiliency of our participants [1]. Women leaders demonstrated the ability to pivot and adjust their leadership approaches to meet the evolving needs of their constituents. They showed remarkable flexibility in adopting new technologies, implementing remote work structures, and reimagining traditional leadership practices. Furthermore, our study integrated a crisis leadership model, specifically the Meta-Leadership Model [14], to examine the competencies and skills necessary for leaders during a crisis. Sriharan [21] identified three thematic categories of crisis leadership: task, people, and adaptive competencies. These categories encompass skills such as preparing and planning, communication, and collaboration, inspiring and influencing, leadership presence, empathy and awareness, decision making, systems thinking/sensemaking, and tacit skills. By aligning the Connective Leadership Model [1] with the Meta-Leadership Model [4], we aimed to explore the overlap and identify key areas of convergence between the two frameworks [20].

Our analysis found substantial alignment between the Connective Leadership Model [1] and the Meta-Leadership Model [4]. Both models emphasize the importance of understanding the complexity and dynamics of a crisis, modifying leadership styles accordingly, and fostering collaboration and coordination among diverse stakeholders. The Connective Leadership Model [1] provides a comprehensive framework for leaders to navigate crises and achieve success through interdependence and diversity. The experiences of women leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for adaptive leadership approaches that consider the well-being of individuals and the broader community. Our findings contribute to the growing body of knowledge on women's crisis leadership, shedding light on the transformative processes women leaders undergo during challenging times [6,8,10,21].

It is worth noting that the challenges women leaders faced in this study during the pandemic were different across industry sectors and regions. Intersectionality plays a crucial role in shaping the experiences of women leaders, with factors such as race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender identity, and geographic location influencing the magnitude of the challenges they encounter. Future research should explore these nuances and develop targeted strategies to support women leaders from diverse backgrounds, as well as the unique experiences of women leaders and develop strategies to promote their success and well-being in times of crisis [2,7,11,12].

This study was conducted as a pilot, with acknowledgement of the limitations of the small sample size which impedes generalizability and validity as well as the inability to conduct a double-blind study. As researchers, we employed strategies to address issues related to bias and reliability in data collection and analysis. Future studies might further address such limitations with a larger sample, observation of additional components of the dialogues and characteristics of the participants, and the use of an added quantitative survey.

In conclusion, this article explored the challenges faced by women leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they adapted their leadership practices to serve their constituents effectively. By utilizing the Connective Leadership Model [1] and integrating the perspective from the Meta-Leadership Model [4], we gained valuable insights into the behavioral profiles of women leaders during crises. The emotional impact of the pandemic on women in the workplace was also examined, emphasizing the importance of supporting their mental well-being. Our study validates the efficacy of the Connective Leadership Model [1] in crisis contexts and highlights its alignment with the Meta-Leadership Model [4]. By understanding and embracing diverse leadership styles, women leaders can navigate crises and foster collaboration to achieve positive outcomes when they recognize and access the broadest leadership behaviors available. We believe that our participant pool of women leaders demonstrated the four 'As' of connective leadership: authenticity, accountability, adaptability, and accessibility. These findings can serve as a guideline for other women facing crisis situations at present and in the future [1,7,8,10,12].

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, C.T.C., M.H., S.S.O. and T.S.; methodology, C.T.C., M.H., S.S.O. and T.S.; software, C.T.C., M.H., S.S.O. and T.S.; validation, C.T.C., M.H., S.S.O. and T.S.; formal analysis, C.T.C., M.H., S.S.O. and T.S.; investigation, C.T.C., M.H., S.S.O. and T.S.; resources, C.T.C., M.H., S.S.O. and T.S.; data curation, C.T.C., M.H., S.S.O. and T.S.; writing—original draft preparation, C.T.C., M.H., S.S.O. and T.S.; writing—review and editing, C.T.C., M.H., S.S.O. and T.S.; visualization, C.T.C., M.H., S.S.O. and T.S.; supervision, C.T.C., M.H., S.S.O. and T.S.; project administration, C.T.C., M.H., S.S.O. and T.S.; funding acquisition, C.T.C., M.H., S.S.O. and T.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This research was partially funded by the Connective Leadership Institute (CLI). CLI agreed not to charge the researchers for the use of the second (post-test) Achieving Styles Inventories (ASI) that were administered to all the participants in this study. This was a 'gift-in-kind'.

**Institutional Review Board Statement:** IRB was not sought and therefore not provided for this project. Please see Appendices D–F for more information.

**Informed Consent Statement:** Informed consent was not obtained from all subjects involved in the study. Please see Appendices D–F for more information.

**Data Availability Statement:** Not applicable.

**Acknowledgments:** The authors of this study would like to acknowledge the support and guidance of our teacher, mentor, and colleague, Jean Lipman-Blumen; Co-Founder and Director Emerita, Connective Leadership Institute; Emerita faculty, Organizational Behavior, Peter F. Drucker/Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management, Claremont Graduate University.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.

#### **Appendix A**

**A DIRECT SET:** acts directly on the situation; controlling both the inputs and outcomes of the endeavor

*A1 Intrinsic Direct:*

Within the direct domain, the first style is intrinsic. Individuals who use the intrinsic direct style are self-motivated, do not wait for others to help them, and incorporate a high standard of excellence. They have within themselves the resources to perform the task, and a perfectly executed task is the reward they seek. Their challenge is to outdo their own previous performance, without comparing themselves to others.
