Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was threefold: (a) to identify the leadership characteristics of leaders who are adopted individuals, (b) to identify and describe the experiences of leaders adopted as children, and (c) to identify and describe the commonalities in the leadership characteristics and experiences of leaders adopted as children. Methodology: The participants were 77 leaders adopted as children. Respondents completed a 25-item online survey (quantitative), and a selected few did follow-up telephone interviews (qualitative). This study was a descriptive mixed-methods design. Findings: An examination of the quantitative and qualitative data indicated that adopted leaders possess the leadership characteristics of integrity, problem solving, responsibility, and empathy. Common experiences included feelings of being "different" than family members, friends, and/or communities; receiving encouragement and support from their adoptive family members or other environmental supporters; and the adoptees' development of empathy due to their own struggles related to adoption. The feeling of being different, lack of self-confidence, and low self-esteem were common obstacles participants had to overcome in their journey to become leaders. The adopted leaders surveyed also reported their adoption experience contributed to their leadership development. Conclusions: The findings from this study suggest that struggling with life obstacles supports the development of compassion and understanding of other people with life difficulties. Furthermore, many adopted leaders credit the feeling of being different as an asset in their development as a leader, while others see it as an initial limitation that they had to overcome. Data from this study and research show positive family relationships and community involvement are instrumental in the leadership development of adoptees. Additionally, strong adoptive family and other environmental support neutralizes the low self-esteem and poor self-confidence that hinder leadership development. Recommendations: Research is advised that examines the differences between the leadership characteristics of adopted individuals who have searched for their biological parents versus those who have not; the differences between the leadership characteristics of adopted persons who went through private adoption processes versus public adoption processes; and the leadership characteristics of transracial or intercountry adoptees. Furthermore, research regarding the age at adoption and its impact on the leadership development of adoptees would be beneficial.