The storied leadership of military spouses

This research study examined the storied leadership of military spouses. A cognitive and cultural approach to leadership through stories explored the overarching question, what stories are told by military spouses and what are the meanings of those stories? A conceptual model of storied leadership was created by the researcher and used as an analytical tool to examine the stories told by the criterion-based, purposeful sample of 17 military spouses.;The study utilized a qualitative research approach, interpretivist perspective, and discourse analysis methodology to discover storied links to transformational growth, leadership, and self-efficacy. Narrative data analysis was based upon an iterative process grounded in noticing, collecting, and thinking about life experiences.;Of the 17 stories told and analyzed in the current research study, 14 focused on challenges faced during a military deployment of the service member. Themes of independence, interdependence, resiliency, and resourcefulness permeated storied meaning-making reflections. Cause-effect relationships and storied meaning interpretations differed based on the interplay of concreteness and reflective practices. Evidence of transformational growth was found in changes in meaning schemes or habits of mind; examples described self-advocacy, self-identity, self-reliance, self-worth, and adaptability. Relational, emotional, and spiritual leanings were discovered in several stories told. Resilience was believed to be linked to self-efficacious behaviors and was examined as related to the current environment of a global war on terror.;Implications for practice were based upon findings from the current research, linked to recommendations from a government-wide review, and aligned with a Community Toolkit promulgated by the National Military Family Association. Recommendations for future research were predicated on the belief that adding to the knowledge base about the military culture would raise awareness of the contributions made by military spouses while serving on the homefront, provide support to current spouses of military service members, and help prepare the next generation of military spouses. Finally, replication of the study with populations outside the military culture would discover applicability of the storied leadership model to other sub-cultures.