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Lucy Nevels: A profile of leadership
Abstract
The purpose of this historical case study was to explore the challenges, issues, and events of the life of one of the founders and the current director of the Women in Community Service (WICS) program in Lincoln, Nebraska. The study was designed to identify the leadership characteristics Nevels possessed and document the effectiveness of her leadership while developing and guiding the Women in Community Service program. Data were collected primarily from November 1996 through February 1997. Data collection strategies included a series of interviews with the informant, observations, and review of documents related to the experiences of the primary informant. Interviews with Lucy Nevels' peers and colleagues provided additional insights into the leadership profile that emerged from her life history and self-report. How these views matched, contrasted, or complemented various leadership characterizations and practices evident in contemporary business, professional, and philanthropic organizations was explored. Analysis of the data revealed the emergence of themes. The study was verified through triangulation, member checks, peer examination, the use of an external auditor, and informants' involvement in all phases of research. Questions were framed around five leadership practices distinguishing successful leaders as outlined in a study by Kouzes and Posner (1987), The Leadership Challenge: How to Get Extraordinary Things Done in Organizations. The leadership practices enumerated were, Challenging the Process, Inspiring a Shared Vision, Enabling Others to Act, Modeling the Way, and Encouraging the Heart. The study expanded the literature detailing the development of female leaders in the community. The major contribution this study made to the existing body of knowledge on women in leadership positions was the unique exploration of the struggles, challenges, and celebrations of a female serving as the Director of WICS-Lincoln. Conclusions and recommendations for future research were included in the final chapter.
Subject Area
School administration|Womens studies|Biographies
Recommended Citation
Ourada-Sieb, Theresa Leann, "Lucy Nevels: A profile of leadership" (1997). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9804334.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9804334