Ann Marie Davis ^{1 *} , Tara Zolnikov ^{1 *}

AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 10, Issue 4, pp. 42-57

https://doi.org/10.66815/ajqr/19199

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Abstract

Approximately 60 percent of adults in America report experiencing at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE), with some having as many as two or all of the following: abuse, neglect, and dysfunction in the home. This issue is more pronounced in women, who hold only 6% of international leadership positions. ACEs affect psychological and emotional development, and later, they may affect leadership styles and decision-making processes. In this study, the main objective was to explore how women leaders described the influence of childhood trauma on their well-being, coping mechanisms, and experiences in the workplace. It assumed a qualitative phenomenological study design and submitted semi-structured interviews to 22 identified women leaders in the United States. The study participants were women who self-identified as having unresolved childhood trauma. The findings exposed that trauma fosters resiliency, a will to succeed, and benevolence. There can be problems in emotional control, trust development, and work-life balance. The researchers discovered that adversity and trauma are sources of strength and continuous challenges. The need to develop trauma-informed coursework in leadership has been highlighted in this paper as urgent.

Keywords: Women leaders, adverse childhood experiences, resilience, trauma-sensitive leadership, qualitative research

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