1st Edition
Schematic Leadership Identity Model (SLIM) Utilizing History and Memory to Help Re-define Leadership Identity
A workbook for leaders who desire to be more effective and deliberate in their leadership identity and for young leaders coming into their own, this book introduces a unique two-step process to understand and define your leadership identity.
While some leadership frameworks operate under static concepts of what makes a good leader, the Schematic Leadership Identity Model (SLIM) offers new and seasoned leaders an opportunity to explore the anchoring of who they are and the ebbs and flows of their attitudes and behaviors through life’s changes and experiences. The SLIM framework has two main footings of its seven phases: revolution, which is the recognition of one’s identity journey, and the theoretical constructs that help frame the process and evolution, a series of assignments and journal entries that helps each leader acknowledge their current leadership identity, unravel habits and behaviors that may not align with their idealized self, and redefine their leadership identity based on their findings and whom they aspire to be. The evolutionary design is a system necessary to be revisited as a leader goes deeper into their memories and experiences. This framework helps unearth unconscious and implicit biases that can hinder a leader’s social and cultural capital.
No matter the industry or discipline, SLIM offers leaders a self-guided process of discovery that can profoundly examine the root causes of behaviors and attitudes to create meaningful change within themselves that can produce significant positive changes in their teams and organizations.
Dedication. Chapter 1: Introduction. Chapter 2: My Identity Journey. Chapter 3: Phase I: The Revolution - The Foundation. Chapter 4: Phase II: The Framing - Theoretical Framework. Chapter 5: Phase III: The Evolution - The Process. Chapter 6: Phase IV, Part 1: The Work - Taking Self Off the Shelf. Chapter 7: Phase IV, Part 2: The Work - Habits and Behaviors. Chapter 8: Phase IV, Part 3: The Work - Self-Trust. Chapter 9: Phase IV, Part 4: The Work - Removing the Shade. Chapter 10: Phase V: The Build - Schematic Leadership Identity Model. Chapter 11: Phase VI: The Anchor - Sustaining Schematic Leadership Changes. Chapter 12: Phase VII: The Remodel - Begin Again. About the Author
Biography
Deatra L. Neal, Ph.D., was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, and now resides in Atlanta, Georgia. She is an award-winning filmmaker who earned her Ph.D. in Global Leadership in 2021. Deatra has worked with many cultures and diverse perspectives as a global consultant, creative entrepreneur, professor, and researcher. Deatra seeks to foster a sense of identity in leaders, allowing them to mitigate biased behaviors and attitudes that support problematic outcomes for marginalized groups. Deatra’s inspiration comes from her daughter, Jada, and grandson, Thomas, and her many great-nieces and great-nephews who will soon be in positions to change the world.
“I highly recommended this book for those exploring an original or authentic experience when realizing that other leadership assessments provide unoriginal, boilerplate methods. Readers will find Dr. Neal’s book, Schematic Leadership Identity Model (SLIM) to be instrumental in discovering and exploring the innermost, personal, and unique characteristics which define their leadership approach to a variety of life experiences—past, present, and future. Capturing the self-reflection and identification of earliest memories of one’s past by journaling and participating in various assignments are helpful to begin to construct and chart one’s leadership identity.
Early chapters provide Dr. Neal’s approach and application to her personal leadership identity journey which is explored starting in her familial setting. To elaborate more fully on her personal identity, Chapter 3 provides a foundation to explore the historical roots and relevance of Black identity.
Chapter 4 provides the theoretical framework to understand the transgenerational and multitude of environments that shape an individual’s sensemaking to bring into consciousness those beliefs and actions that shape us as individuals. The construct of unconscious bias is critical to understand some of our most basic behaviors as leaders.
Chapter 5 maps the beginning of an individualized approach, via journaling and various exercise, to identify and build one’s individual leadership identity. The evolutionary and revolutionary phases provide the underpinnings for one’s identity leadership journey.
The second half of this book can be viewed as the “working-book” that ties the many topics and constructs together. Chapter 6 begins to layout the structure of the evolutionary process of self-reflection. Chapter 7 suggests the journaling process to capture significant personal experiences and incidents that contribute to one’s behaviors, actions, and habits that contribute to their past decision-making approaches.
Chapter 8 focuses on the importance of trust and how this must manifest into self-trust in order to prepare a self-inventory of this crucial element of SLIM. Another crucial component of one’s leadership identify is to address important barriers that block or prevent authenticity in one’s leadership identify. Chapter 9 provides a framework of “removing the SHADE” for reflection on barriers that may impede oneself from achieving one’s authentic self.
Concluding chapters 10 – 12 provide the framework to pull together the results of journaling and self-reflection assignments from preceding chapters. Deliverables are the schematic blueprint, a change model to ensure one’s evolved leadership identity is executed, and a model—and reminder—to embrace the fact that change is constant and cyclical in nature.
In summary, the reader or practitioner will greatly benefit from this novel approach to leadership identity in the development of their personalized and authentic leadership identity.”
Barbara A. Mather, Ph.D.
Business Consultant, Professor
