Autoethnographic study shows that triadic relational mentoring supports leadership identity development in doctoral students, highlighting the impact of trust and shared authority.
Key Points
To examine how relational mentoring practices within a pilot triadic internship shape the leadership identity development of two women doctoral students.
Autoethnographic study grounded in a constructivist paradigm involving two women doctoral students mentored by a woman department chair at a large accredited university.
Qualitative data gathered and analyzed through participant reflexive journals and collaborative group processing sessions.
Identified three progressive developmental themes: 'Feeling Trusted', 'Feeling Courageous', and 'Becoming a Leader'.
Demonstrated that mentor transparency and delegated access build interpersonal trust, which in turn encourages bold participation and integrates leadership identity.