Portraits of successful woman leaders: Looking through the mirror via side-by-side portraiture

This qualitative study will take a reflective and refractive view of family relationships of four successful women leaders in education, business, and ministry/arts with particular examination of the role of family interaction paying particular attention to interaction with the father. Drawn from the author's personal experience as artist, educator, and administrator, a newly created methodology called side-by-side portraiture creates an additional portrait of the author to lay beside the portraits of the women, thereby adding authentic resonance to the study. After researching theories of development and relationship, and placing those in the context of historical family development, the success of these candidates (who are identified by personal recommendations and credentials) is given personal reflection as the portraits focus on the formation of self through relationship. The study shows areas of commonality and divergence among the women, and has implications for the spiritual grounding of the family in today's world, team parenting, studies involving overcoming difficulties that are in the path of success, and mentoring.