ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the role of women-only leadership development programmes in shaping women's entrepreneurial leader identity. It reviews the nature and impact of women's leadership development programmes on identity development. The chapter explores the role of gender in the design, delivery and impact of leadership development. It also employs the concept of swift trust to explain the emergence of a shared safe space in an entrepreneurial leadership development setting. The chapter outlines the design and development of future leadership development programmes for entrepreneurial leaders. The original genesis for the development of the programme resulted from Ruth's role as the only female management consultant in a leadership and management development consultancy. While building identity is the micro-foundation of the programme design, establishing the business case for women's participation in senior leadership positions provided its macro-context. The programme provided the opportunity for the women to take time out and invest in their identity work.
