**Appendix C**

The Qualitative Interview protocol employed in this research is below.

Women and Leadership Research Project.

Hypothesis: Women's leadership becomes stronger and better in a time of crisis and conflict.

The purpose of this study, a mixed-methods research project, is focused on women leaders and how they led through crisis, particularly during the past two to three years of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The research is grounded in the Connective Leadership Model/Achieving Styles, the results of which we expect will demonstrate critical leadership behaviors in times of crisis.

As a reminder, these styles are characteristic behaviors individuals use to achieve their goals and connective leadership emphasizes connecting individuals to their own, as well as others', tasks, and ego drives. The Achieving Styles Model includes three sets of achieving styles (direct, instrumental, and relational), each subsuming three individual styles, resulting in a full complement of nine distinct achieving styles. Source: www. achievingstyles.com (accessed on 6 June 2023).

Interviews are scheduled with women in leadership roles pre- and post-pandemic. The research team is focusing specifically on the achieving styles as defined in the Connective Leadership Model. The interviews will involve a researcher certified through the Connective Leadership Institute and selected women leaders who have participated in programs or activities pre-pandemic during which the Achieving Styles Inventory (ASI) was administered. Interviewees will retake the ASI, after which an interview will be held using the following interview protocol.

#### **Interview Questions**

The questions below will be used by each researcher/interviewer during scheduled interviews. Additional clarifying inquiries may be posed, prompted by the responses to the questions below.

1. Reflect upon your pre-pandemic leadership style—describe your role and your primary "under normal circumstances or routine" leadership model.

2. As the pandemic evolved, what shifts in context occurred? How did your preferred leadership model shift from your pre-pandemic model to a "pandemic model" and what it is now?

3. Relating to the contextual shifts, how did you go about achieving critical goals for the team or organization you were leading; what leadership behaviors did/do you use most frequently to implement those goals? What obstacles did you encounter and how did/do you respond?

4. How did your identity and the culture of the team/organization within which you are working influence, if at all, how you went about addressing the various/critically important issues which arose during the pandemic?

5. From what did you derive the greatest satisfaction as you provided leadership through the crisis?

5.1. Breaking through to the solutions of a new problem(s) and/or taking charge when working with others, and/or coming out on top and receiving accolades from others? Any or all?

6. What were key leadership/operational practices which proved most beneficial?

6.1. Developing relationships with others to get what we needed to succeed; reaching out for help when necessary—beyond my defined sphere of influence/authority.

6.2. Team efforts to responds to changing needs and to achieve critical goals.

6.3. Relying on others to step up to new, potentially temporary roles and activities which were not part of their defined job spec; taking an active part in helping others achieve success.

7. All things considered, what have been your takeaways as you reflect upon the crisis period and your growth as a leader?
