ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the Saudi women's narratives of leadership identity are uncovered. In uncovering the nuanced, multiple, and complex stories of leadership identity, the monolithic construct of “Saudi Woman” is deconstructed. More precisely, this chapter dedicates space to showcase how Saudi women leaders assert, negotiate, and/or balance their leadership identities in the workplace. Leadership identity is defined as experienced and projected selves that aspire to look like leadership. The narratives reveal how the personal, cultural, and political are intertwined in the crafting of a leadership identity. Therefore, identity is not fixed, and shifts based on the women's specific location in Saudi Arabia and according to changing national narratives. While social categories such as ethnicity, religion, and gender have been employed as useful tools to understand interlocking systems of oppression, this chapter argues that there is a need to identify subtle differences and shifts in identities within a specific region to tease out historical and cultural tension points that shape expressions of gender and leadership.
