Leadership Style: Men vs. Women

 

Leadership Style: Men vs. Women

There has always been the lifelong controversy of men versus women when it comes to the workplace. Who makes better leaders’ men or women? Most individuals believe that men make better leaders but is that because leadership roles through generations past have been filled by males or is this fact? In general, both men and women alike make great leaders if given an opportunity. Men and women normally fall into one of two leadership styles autocratic and democratic. However, there are eight common differences between the men and women within leadership qualities.

First let’s look at what a commonly described as a mans leadership style. According to Oleksandra Manchil, author of “8 Key Differences Between Female vs Male Leadership Qualities” men commonly use an autocratic leadership style. This style puts the manager at the top. They are normally in complete control of the projects, teams and any decision making that needs to be done. Men tend to depend on hard facts, proven data or personal experience when making choices. However, this trait can sometimes be very rewarding because in a crisis a man tends to be able to make a difficult choice without debating the issue. On the other hand, sometime the old saying two heads are better than one can come into play.

Now that we have taken a brief look into the leadership of men, let’s look at the most common leadership style and qualities of women. Women tend to use a democratic leadership style. This style, as you would guess, is the opposite of the autocratic leadership style. This style puts the team first. In this style the manager wants to hear what the team thinks and feels about the project or situation. The manager solicits ideas to complete a project. Everyone has an opportunity to voice their opinion. This leadership style fits women perfectly because they tend to lead with emotion. Women want to understand the reasoning behind someone’s actions not just the outcome. Women lead by influence, trusting the feeling in their gut and prioritizing employee potential. There are disadvantages to this style also for example, mamchii, states that “hormonal changes and pregnancies can affect leadership”.

According to Travis Mitchell in his article “2. Views on Leadership Traits and Competencies and How They Intersect with Gender” many Americans, if not all, believe that men and women are equally capable of some of the important skills and behaviors required for leadership. Furthermore, while many respondents believe male and female leaders have different leadership styles, very few believe one gender has a superior overall approach than the other. Men and women in the public have widely differing perspectives on which leadership attributes are most important and whether male or female leaders best exemplify those characteristics. However, an article by Kevin Kruse “New Research: Women More Effective Than Men in All Leadership Measures” states that “in 2023, for the first time in history, women CECs lead about 10% of Fortune 500 companies”. Based on the research led by Cindy Adams, President and CLO at Leadership Circle women leaders demonstrate higher levels Creativity and lower levels of reactive tendencies.

Whether you are a man or women you should evaluate your leadership style. Effective leadership always goes back to whether you are able to motivate your team to do their best and inspire them to be invested in the company. If you identify your dominant leadership style and realize that some of its qualities are not appropriate for your position within your organization or for the people on your team, there are a few measures you may take to incorporate traits of a more suitable leadership style. First identify the problem. Look at other leadership styles and decide if incorporating some other characteristics will address the issue. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes the change may be within you and not necessarily how you lead others. Always be sure you are communicating clearly. Don’t assume that others automatically know what you are trying to say.

In conclusion, Research shows that men tend to lead with their “knowledge while women tend to lead with their “heart”. It does not matter whether you are a man or woman in a leadership role your primary focus is to improve the lives of your team members and employees. Leaders need to have a clear understanding of what they want to accomplish and help their team achieve that task. It doesn’t matter if you are working in a “mom and pop” store or a multimillion-dollar company, leaders should value their team and employees.

 

 Work Cited

Mamadou, Sylla. “Are women better leaders than men? gender differences in management styles.” INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCE AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, vol. 5, no. 3, 2019, pp. 7–9, https://doi.org/10.18775/ijmsba.1849-5664-5419.2014.53.1001.

Mamchii, Oleksandra. “8 Key Differences between Female vs Male Leadership Qualities.” Best Diplomats | Diplomatic Conferences | New York, 5 Sept. 2023, bestdiplomats.org/men-vs-women-leadership-qualities/.

Miranda, Dana. “10 Management Styles of Effective Leaders.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 20 Mar. 2024, www.forbes.com/advisor/business/management-styles/.

Mitchell, Travis. “2. Views on Leadership Traits and Competencies and How They Intersect with Gender.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 20 Sept. 2018, www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2018/09/20/2-views-on-leadership-traits-and-competencies-and-how-they-intersect-with-gender/.