The contribution of honorary officials has often been overlooked in
studies of trade union leadership. Informed by developments in
leadership research, in particular analysis of women's trade union
leadership, this paper explores labour women's leadership in the
Female Confectioners Union, a women's union. Using a group
biography approach, the rank-and-file women activists who held the
critical honorary positions are traced over the history of the union.
Issues explored include the making of the women leaders and the nature
of the women's leadership style. What emerges is the adoption of
administrative conservatorship as the prevailing leadership style rather
than transformational leadership, as the women's leadership
literature would suggest.