Xena and I: female empowerment; IN HER OWN WORDS
BYLINE: Summers, Deborah
After winning a highly charged election for department chair at a
small state college, I stared at my position statement that seemed
to trumpet my beliefs mockingly. Phrases like "participatory
leadership," "shared ownership" and "collaborative effort" felt like
they were leaping off the page, challenging and taunting me.
Was it hubris to think that I could unite a large academic
department comprised of disparate factions, all for the greater
good? Could such a feat be accomplished by sharing the coveted
leadership position that some would perceive as my newly won "spoils
of war"?
Despite these questions, I knew that my leadership approach aligned
with a recent study on the motivations and priorities of women in
leadership. Not surprisingly, this study revealed that women leaders
overwhelming focus on people and organizational health above
personal gain, unlike their male counterparts.
Nonetheless, in my male dominated world, I remained uncertain. To my
knowledge, a women had never claimed the title of chair in my
department. In fact, the former chair had been in place for 12
years. Could I be effective as a female leader whose style included
fostering relationships and valuing diverse opinions and
perspectives? In a field that is underrepresented by women in
positions of higher educational leadership, were the challenges I
was about to face made even more difficult by virtue of my sex?
And then I thought: If Xena could do it, so could I.
For those living in an academic cave for the last 10 years, Xena
Warrior Princess was a little television show with a big impact on
women around the globe. We learn at the outset of every show that
"In a time of ancient gods, warlords, and kings, a land in turmoil
cried out for a hero. She was Xena, a mighty princess forged in the
heat of battle. Her courage will change the world."
For six seasons, what made this first century, self-made hero so
attractive and influential to 21st century women was an unrelenting
source of strength, courage, and compassion that allowed her to
succeed on her own terms in a male-dominated world. Did Xena have
universal lessons that women in positions of leadership in higher
education could benefit from?
"Ay-Yi-Yi-Yi," came her resounding trademark cry of yes. I asked
myself, what would Xena Warrior Princess do? And from her ancient
battlefield, I uncovered four valuable strategies of successful
female leadership.
1. Resist stealth.
Most of us have heard through organizational folklore that decisions
are seldom made at the table but are brokered through deals cut long
beforehand. The business of trading secrets and keeping favors has
never settled well with me. I struggled as a new administrator with
the idea that I would have to automatically subvert my intentions
and engage in hallway conversations where the "real work" took
place, like many administrators I have known.
And then I thought of Xena. Every time Xena enters a fray she
proudly announces her arrival. Enemies and friends alike know of her
intentions when they hear her mighty battle cry. Xena even lets her
enemies know when she is about to strike.
"Ay-Yi-Yi-Yi," she cries before raising her signature weapon, the
Chakram. This simple circle of ruthless steel is always spotted in
advance by her foes because it is designed to ricochet off several
surfaces before arriving to strike its target. Remembering this, I
thought, if Xena can be forthright and transparent, so can I.
2. Be humane.
My relatively new experiences with leadership have led me to believe
that great strength often comes from a gentle approach. When I
become frustrated with a colleague or listen to a student complaint
about faculty, my style is to meet face-to-face with that department
member and ask about the problem. My goal is to communicate my
concern and attempt to address the behavior upfront.
Unfortunately, if the problem persists, my response must escalate
accordingly. In human resource circles this approach is called
progressive discipline, a process that humanely builds opportunities
for appropriate kinds of actions to occur.
But is that what Xena would do, I ask myself? Should my personal
arsenal include stomping, pillaging or even sending a pointed email
copied up the chain of command for the good of the order? After all,
I reasoned, even Xena has a special weapon that could kill a person
in thirty seconds with her bare hands--the death grip. This tactical
move involves cutting off a person's blood flow to the brain with a
quick and painless move on the jugular vein. The individual then has
30 seconds to agree to whatever is requested, and in doing so
becomes released from death by a quick reversal performed by our
hero. The only telltale mark is a slight trickle of blood from the
nose.
And then I remembered that while appearing horrendously violent,
Xena's best weapon is seldom used. In fact, she only resorts to
employing it as a last resort when her enemy has exhausted all other
options. With relief, I decided that, like Xena, I will continue to
go to great lengths to avoid using so deadly a weapon. I will
continue with my gentle approach unless I am forced to do otherwise.
As Xena says, "Wisdom before weapons. The moment you pick up a
weapon you become a target, and the moment you kill .... everything
changes, everything."
3. Bring out the best in people.
One joke that seems to always ring true in higher education is about
the difficulty of herding cats. It implies that in higher education,
individual freedoms, strengths and ways of doing prevail over the
greater good to the degree that no collective goals can ever be
reached.
In some ways, this joke has struck a chord of truth for me. While I
have always been awed by the individual contributions of my talented
faculty, I have also been humbled at times by their inability to
unite for even a less-than-noble cause. And still I prevail with an
undying optimism that individual strengths brought to bear upon an
interdependent task will bring out the best in people. Some laugh at
my naivete, yet a look into Xena's interpersonal relationships
heartens me about my approach as a female leader.
Many a fan of the show has pondered the merit of Xena's allegiances
and alliances at times. After all, her army includes pacifists who
take up swords--bumbling, friendly idiots who become
heroes--murderers and thieves who perform good deeds--and Greek gods
and evil warlords who provide valuable insights. This cast of
characters provides Xena with unexpected talents because she
believes that the best in people is brought out through a belief in
the importance of their unique contributions.
Xena values love, trust and friendship. These values are explicitly
communicated through all of her interactions, and she is rewarded
mightily with loyalty and a diversity of opinion that affords her
much wisdom, all in the name of the greater good. Following her
example, I will continue to support and encourage the individual
strengths, differences and interests of my faculty as we fight
together for our own greater good. As Xena says, "Wasted potential
is the greatest sin of all."
4. Transformation is an ongoing process.
For Xena, there is a dark and painful past. The irony associated
with being known as a courageous warrior is that it comes at a
price. In her youth, when a warlord pillaged her village and killed
her loved ones, Xena vowed to seek revenge. She became a ruthless
killer and assassin. But, through a twist of fate, this experience
that could potentially destroy her instead transformed her. Out of
this tragedy is born her desire to seek her own redemption.
How does this apply to contemporary leadership issues for women in
higher education? For me, the point begins with willingness to
constantly self-examine. What made this show so successful was the
depth to which Xena had to face her past honestly. She vowed to give
up her life as a warrior and fight for the greater good, yet as a
leader she was continually humbled by her own mistakes. In this
initial rebirth of her identity as a positive leader, we learned
that leadership need not be confined to a definition of how others
define us, or even how we define ourselves.
In subsequent episodes, Xena took transformation a step further. She
willingly sacrificed her life for the greater good and for those she
loved. Her sacrifices led to several deaths and rebirths, and
through the self-examination associated with rebirth she continually
transformed by drawing upon her failings as sources of insight and
compassion. It was this battle of self that was the real war within
our hero, a battle that led to continual reflection and
transformation.
In addition, this warrior princess was well aware that her enemy
could very well be herself--if she were to slip into the
all-too-satisfied state of self-acceptance. Reflection,
self-awareness and humility characterized her process of
transformation. Ultimately, Xena and her self-sacrifice reminds me
of the most important lesson of all-- that a true leader is willing
to confront the deepest most difficult parts of herself. In the true
spirit of Xena, we learn that a hero admits her weaknesses and draws
upon them as a source of ongoing strength.
Thank you, Xena. You have taught me many valuable lessons in my
first year of leadership in higher education. Most importantly, I
have learned that "it takes great strength to show compassion."
Through your eyes I have re-envisioned and re-claimed the meaning of
war. If, as female leaders, we are continually committed to
examining our definition of self, then the battleground becomes the
greater good and our weapons consist of openness, humanity, trust
and self-examination.
As a new administrator, I have struggled with the allure of the
battle metaphor. I have already seen my female counterparts from
other academic disciplines become mired in the metaphor of battle.
Their war-weary expressions and caustic references to arsenals,
casualties and spoils alert me to draw upon this reservoir of
antagonistic imagery with caution.
My intent is not to be adversarial in my leadership approach. In
fact, as I revisit that position statement I am heartened by the
simplistic sentiment of collegiality.
Xena has shown me that, "Any fool can risk her life. It takes a hero
to risk her heart."
RELATED ARTICLE: What Makes You Feel Empowered?
A recent informal poll of WIHE readers uncovered some unconventional
strategies and tactics that women use to increase their sense of
self-esteem, power and control. Among them:
* "An extra cup of coffee puts me right out there."
* "I ask myself 'What's the worst that could happen, and could I
live with that?' If the answer is yes, I go for it."
* "I'd hate to explain to my teenager that I'm afraid to try
something. So I act brave, and it works!"
* "My brother is the world's biggest wuss, so I'm constantly working
to model for him that it's more fun to be a hammer than a nail."
* "I speak up for those who can't or won't, and I hope that someday
someone will do the same for me."
* "When I read historic accounts of powerful women or even watch
Geena Davis as America's first female president in Commander in
Chief,I realize that I'm part of a long line of women before and
after me.And I want my presence on earth to have made a difference."
By Dr. Deborah Summers, chair of the Department of Education,
California State University at Chico
Deborah Summers is currently practicing her Xena skills at
California State University at Chico. Reach her at
DSummers@exchange.csuchico.edu