Culturally Situated Leadership in the Ecuadorian Andes

Gender and leadership studies in Ecuador are an interesting and important topic for academic exploration. Following a qualitative methodology, female indigenous leaders from small Andean communities of Ecuador were interviewed to better understand their motives to lead, goals of leadership, and leadership practices. The methodologies utilized were direct observations and semi‐structured face‐to‐face interviews with 19 Kichwa (or Quechua) women leaders in private, public, or community‐based organizations. The interview content was examined following Boyatzis’s (1998) thematic analysis supported by the computer software ATLAS.ti (Version 7). The analysis revealed that Andean women’s motivation to lead is based on a collective aspiration to improve their communities and that their leadership is influenced by the Andean cosmovision. With a unique approach to leader–follower relationships, these women’s leadership crosses the public–private boundary by not only addressing organizational interests but also the personal and family needs of followers. The current results have implications for public policymakers who wish to empower women leaders in underprivileged communities or who wish to promote organizational success in such communities in Ecuador. Implications for the study of leadership in Latin America are also evident.