The Differences between Men and Women as Leaders A Cymtrix Training Systems Research Study Introduction Anyone who has attended one of Paul J McLoughlin's What Makes A Leader? key note addresses, is well aware that he has great admiration for 3 particular leaders, all of whom happen to be women. They are assassinated Indian Prime Minister Indira Ghandi, the late Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Paul's admiration for these leaders has nothing to do with their politics or beliefs but the way in which they went about doing their jobs. They were successful and absolutely driven irrespective of fierce opposition and the various hurdles having being placed in their way by their critics and self appointed judges. All 3 of these leaders displayed all the necessary qualities of truly great leaders, irrespective of their gender. Study Assumptions For many years now I have been asked, what are the difference between women and men in leadership positions? I start by saying that the entire standard qualifying criteria for leaders is very much the same for both men and women. Tradition, cultural and religious beliefs play a major part in offering female leaders the fundamental opportunity and recognition to reach their full potential. As a result our research was confined to the examination of women leaders from a business background in a western society. The study concentrated on identifiable personality differences and other motivational factors which are at the core of underlying gender differences. Participating Research Group Women who participated in the research came from the finance sector (26%); information technology (7%); consulting (7%); education (7%); medical sector (7%); other health care products and services (7%); accounting services (11%); legal services (9%) and real estate industries (19%). Age band analysis for the group was: 30-39 years old (24%), 40-49 years of age (49%) and 50 plus years old (27%). The majority were (69%) married, 5% lived with a domestic partner and 26% were single. Forty one percent had dependent children living with them at home. For matching purposes, a sample of male counterparts in similar job roles was used. Research Findings The research showed that there were four (4) main areas that distinguished women leaders from their male counterparts. Some areas were viewed as strengths and whereas others not quite as strong as men. •1. Women Are More Persuasive Women had much higher statistical scoring than men in persuasive motivation. They were more assertive, more willing to take risks, showed greater empathy with others, had a greater sense of urgency when it was needed were more flexible in their approaches to problem solving and better at mixing in dynamic social situations. Women overall possessed better people skills and because of this were better able to sift through information from different sides. This ability enhanced their persuasive ability. Males, however, tended to commence analysis starting at their own viewpoints. This makes men tend towards forcing their own perspectives and convincing others using the strengths of their position as opposed to attempting genuine persuasion. •2. Women Are Less Resilient But Bounce Back Stronger Whilst women scored less than men when it came to their resilience in the face of rejection and are less self critical, they eventually muster their assertiveness and shake off negative feelings. At this stage women who possess talent and ambition are better able to harness their energy to once again move forward. •3. Women Are More Inclusive On Problem Solving & Decision Making Whilst both men and women in leadership roles showed high levels of abstract reasoning and idea orientation, surprisingly women scored significantly lower than men in the area of thoroughness. Women were far more interested than men in hearing all pints of view, then making the best possible decision. The decision that needed to be made did not necessarily have to be their initial point of view. Women performed better at sharing information. This in turn means that women are far more ‘inclusive' of others when it comes to examination and determination of facts than men. •4. Women Are More Likely to Ignore Rules and Take Risks Women are far less likely to adhere to established procedures and established norms than men. They are also more inclined to take calculated risks. When women feel restricted by traditional means they tend to become more innovative. Women have a greater drive ‘to get things done' than male leaders. They are also less likely to hesitate, procrastinate but focus less on detail. Summary There are a number of differences in the approach made and self motivation reasoning between male and female leaders. The research does not uphold the notion as to which gender makes a better leader. The research does in fact confirm that all the recognized leadership traits, qualities and skills are required for either gender. Apart from the subtle leadership differences described above the scoring for both men and women was remarkably close. It appears that tradition, culture and religion play greater culprits in altering the priorities and opportunity for women leaders. It is most certainly not based on true leadership abilities because of gender. | 