Lesbian perspectives and experiences of gender and sexuality in leadership in social work and social care: A review of the literature

Within the literature about leadership, there is little about women as leaders, particularly regarding sexual identity. Based on a narrative review of the literature that focusses on lesbian leaders in social care and social work, this chapter discusses how sexual identity and gender intersect with leadership theory and practice in social work and social care. The literature indicates that senior leaders who are lesbian face particular challenges in managing their work identity. The continued over-representation of white, heterosexual men at senior levels in organisations and associated masculine models of leadership overshadow the importance of leadership qualities viewed as more feminine, such as demonstrating empathy and relational skills. There are key challenges for increasing diversity in the workplace including the time and resources to address this issue in a meaningful manner, and a lack of strong and positive leadership, which ensures visible LGBTQ+ role models.