The current study explored the concepts and enactment of leadership and crisis management from the female leader’s perspective since very few studies, if any, have explored whether inclusive leadership can help educational institutions when they must face unprecedented challenges in terms of crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
Through assisted thematic analyses of 40 female educational leaders’ oral responses to questions regarding how they have led during the Covid-19 crisis, the current study investigated whether they relied on inclusive leadership to help their universities exit this unprecedented crisis.
The study revealed that these women exercised inclusive transformational leadership and provided considerable support to their followers during the Covid-19 crisis leading them through the crisis as well as managing the response.
The study provided recommendations for Higher Education Institutions, HR professionals, and leadership teams to support female educational leaders and foster diversity and inclusion.