leadership has been defined from intrapersonal, interpersonal, and developmental perspectives, all of which are characterized by their genuine, relational, and ethical qualities (Northouse, 2019). George (2003) identified authentic leaders as having the dimensions of purpose, values, relationships, self-discipline, and heart. George asserted that the characteristics of passion, connectedness, consistency, and compassion are required of authentic leaders. As you consider the qualities and personal traits that influence your understanding of leadership, what traits do you notice among our profiled leaders? What characteristics do you see within yourself as a future leader in our profession?
Transformational Leadership
Transformational leadership is “the process whereby a person engages with others and creates a connection that raises the level of motivation and morality in both the leader and the follower” (Northouse, 2016, p. 162). Transformational leadership encompasses four basic dimensions: inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, and idealized influence (Piccolo & Colquitt, 2006). These dimensions appear to meaningfully overlap with dimensions of the therapeutic counselor–client relationship (e.g., inspiration/hope, contextual considerations). Transformational leadership has been notably visible in the school counseling profession (Gibson et al., 2020).
Adaptive Leadership
Adaptive leaders “prepare and encourage people to deal with change” (Nort-house, 2016, p. 257). Adaptive leaders encourage effective changes over multiple levels, from those as finite as the self to those as infinite as our global society. Using a systems approach, adaptive leaders try to understand the complexities of problems and provide supportive environments for their constituents. In the face of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the social unrest that revolves around inequalities in the United States, it is important for each of us to have an understanding of adaptive leadership. Change continues to shape our behaviors as we navigate through the upheaval of these times. How can we be reflexive and encourage others to change and learn new ways of living together so that all of us will be successful and can grow?
• • •
This brief review of leadership theories provides a mere sliver of the depth that they encompass. Only a few of the profiled leaders specifically name a leadership theory that guided their work, but you will find traits, skills, procedures, and philosophies that are common to both leadership theories and counseling practice in these stories. They all, in one way or another, speak of leadership as a process of empowering others and as an opportunity to advocate. None of the leaders espouse a traditional view of leadership as a power-over position; rather, they speak of “leading from behind,” working “behind the scenes,” and “leading by doing,” not for their own aggrandizement but to move our profession forward and improve services to our clients. One can deduce that leadership in counseling is ineffective when leadership practices move away from our core values as professional counselors.
Alignment With the 2016 CACREP Standards
Accredited counseling programs help to support a unified counseling profession (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs [CACREP], 2015). As we continue to strive for this unity, which strengthens the future of the counseling profession, it is critical to attend to the standards that guide our counseling programs and curriculum. The 2016 CACREP Standards focus on the foundation of a strong professional identity that includes advocacy on behalf of the profession and initiatives needed to address systemic barriers that impede client success. Chapters 2 and 3 discuss counselor professional identity and the advocacy interventions that can address institutional and social barriers that affect clients.
Section 6 of the 2016 CACREP Standards clearly delineates “Leadership and Advocacy” as one of the five core areas of doctoral-level counselor education and supervision, and features that address many of these standards can be found throughout the text. We list the 2016 CACREP Standards that have been addressed in the text at the conclusion of each part. (CACREP standards are currently under revision, and new standards are scheduled to be released in 2024.)
Onward!
The next generation of leaders and advocates must embrace the complex issues facing our clients, the profession as a whole, and our national and global societies if we are to advance and continue to distinguish excellence in professional counseling. We hope this book inspires you to engage in leadership and advocacy opportunities as counseling continues to evolve. Perhaps one or more of the profiled leaders’ journeys will resonate with you and your story. Whether you are studying to become a counselor or counselor educator, beginning your career in counseling, or have been practicing for years, we hope this book will encourage you to examine the deeper meaning of your leadership and advocacy roles.
Chapter 2
Culturally Responsive Counseling Leadership
Cassandra A. Storlie, Christian D. Chan, and Michael Hannon
As is true with many works addressing multiculturalism and social justice in counseling, this chapter may take time to fully digest and understand in a way that empowers you to acknowledge yourself as a cultural being and reflect on ways you can incorporate culturally responsive counseling leadership in your practice. To become a culturally responsive leader, it is essential to have a historical understanding of the role of race, culture, and “otherness” within society and in our profession. We will not know where we are going if we don’t know where we have been. By striving for culturally responsive counseling leadership, you will embark on a journey in which you voluntarily accept both the privilege and the responsibility of intervening. Your leadership will help our profession become stronger and more inclusive, representing more diverse voices and combating systemic injustices. By becoming a culturally responsive leader, you will examine how intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1989) affects each of us and others, focus on challenging your worldview for unconscious bias, and move forward reflectively to ameliorate barriers to inclusion.
Racism. Prejudice. Sexism. Discrimination. Oppression. Microaggressions. Heterosexism. Poverty. These words represent concepts that have perpetuated inequities in the United States that affect our clients, our students, and even ourselves as privileged members of the counseling profession. There has long been a call for cultural awareness (Sue et al., 2019), cultural sensitivity (Whaley, 2008; Wright & Reese, 2015), and cultural competence (Ratts et al., 2016; Sue et al., 1992) in the counseling profession. These three terms are not synonymous; each has a well-defined meaning (Whaley, 2008). Taken together, they provide a foundation for cultural responsiveness and enable counselors to provide leadership in guiding socially just practices in unity for current and future counselors. Culturally responsive counseling leadership is enacted when professional counselors move beyond mastery of cultural knowledge to action-oriented approaches, concurrently engage in reflective evaluation for effective practices, and develop community and solidarity with marginalized groups.
Culturally responsive counseling leaders encompass four core characteristics: cultural awareness, culturally sensitivity, cultural competence, and cultural responsiveness (see Figure 2.1). Each of these characteristics is salient in the growth and development of our profession, and integration of these four characteristics is necessary to effectively lead others toward culturally responsive counseling.
The ethnic and racial makeup of the United States reflects a diverse population, and the number of Black,