Pursuing Ithaca: the leadership journey of top executive women in Spain

Purpose This paper aims to explore the introspective journeys of women in top management positions, focusing on the intrapersonal, interpersonal and contextual factors that shape their leadership identities and drive their commitment to social change through their life stories. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a qualitative methodology, using in-depth semi-structured interviews with 34 Spanish female executives who currently serve on boards or have the potential to attain board membership in male-dominated industries. Findings This study reveals that women executives present two essential leadership competency profiles represented by the archetypes of “Ulysses” and “Penelope,” each embodying unique traits such as strategic planning and resilience, challenging traditional leadership models. Despite this diversity, transformational leadership, marked by idealized influence and individualized consideration, predominates, countering earlier claims that women in male-dominated sectors adopt transactional styles. The role of social context is central: while some women develop within supportive “golden bubble” cultures, others confront exclusionary “men’s clubs” that impede progression, demonstrating how shifting environments shape leadership identity over time. Originality/value Beyond enriching research on gender and leadership, this paper presents a process-oriented explanatory model that depicts how leadership identities emerge through the dynamic interaction of personal agency, interpersonal relationships and organizational culture. For women managers, this study emphasizes the importance of key life and career experiences, highlighting the value of crafting a coherent life story to develop leadership for social change. For organizations, it emphasizes the importance of broadening access to top positions and fostering inclusive climates that enable women to grow, exercise transformational leadership and contribute to more equitable organizational cultures.