The legitimacy trap for women leaders

This chapter develops the concept of the Legitimacy Trap in relation to women leaders to illustrate a configuration of gendered patterns that function to destabilize women's leadership legitimacy. The Legitimacy Trap concept was developed following a re-examination of previous studies that analyzed women leaders’ experiences through a legitimacy lens. This re-examination of previous studies led us to identify seven elements that form the Legitimacy Trap. These elements constrain women leaders within a set of dialectics that collectively destabilize their authority and reinforce leadership as a masculine activity. The chapter contributes to a critical understanding of leadership by problematizing individualized solutions to the lack of diversity in leadership roles.