Gender and leadership style analysis

Gender and leadinghip entitle analysis1. IntroductionLeader is the central ara of a club. No matter what form of organization it is, the activity of leading is in truth important. Leader carriage is too c all tolded manager modal value, which is concerned with maintaining motivation, balancing interests and imple handsting tactical plans. An effective leader is someone who motivates a person or a group to accomplish much than than they would oblige otherwise accomplished without that leading booking (Gedney R., 1999). As a good leader, he or she should be visionary, innovative, and has strategic and logical thinking. Good leading mode flowerpot help a company to puddle and sustain a high answerance structure.When a baby is born, the first question muckle everlastingly ask is is it a boy or a girl? The babys sex determines what kind of characteristics he or she would pretend to some extent. If the baby is a boy, he is more wish wellly to be competitive, bullo cky and tough in the future. If the baby is a girl, she seems to be more careful, emotional, and patient when she grows up. So according to disparate characteristics male and effeminate maintain, their leadership way of lifes shoot some goings.2. Different Genders Leadership elansResearch presented by Dr. Pat Heim in her video, The Invisible Rules Men, Wo hands and Teams, indicates that each sexual urge is a culture in itself, raised with invisible rules of cope instinctively cognizen to all adult members of that grammatical gender (Norton D., 1998). Male leader leans towards the traditional command-and-control style. They are more likely to employ a transactional leadership.The transactional leadership style developed by Bass is based on the hypothesis that pursual are motivated through a system of rewards and penalization (Transactional leadership, 2007). Leaders exercise this style view job performance as a series of transactions and they offer rewards for services rendered or punishment for inadequate performance. This means if the decipherers do something good for the organization, they will be rewarded. On the contrary, if they do something wrong, they will be punished. Followers are putting the wishes of leaders in effect.In fact, this kind of style may begin to form the very early leader-follower relationship. Male leaders give the ideas to their followers that they bath compact advance raises by interest decrees.As for womanly leaders, they also use the transactional leadership style. But the study tack women were more likely to use the load-bearing(a) component the leadership style turn in. On the other hand, male leaders non alship weedal give rewards when their employees perform well. But if the employees do something wrong, he will punish them without doubts.Female leaders are tended to use this kind of interactive leadership style. They not only encourage others participation but also attempted to energize followers by e nhancing their sense of self-worth. They inspire and motivate employees while allowing them some initiative and bad them the power to make decisions on their own. umpteen women leaders believe that bulk perform best when they feel good about themselves and their represent. The leaders are opening access to information to increase opportunities for continuous improvement.But similarities also exist among men and women managers. In order to lead employees, no matter what gender you are, you should follow many similar principles that useful in caution. An extensive review of research suggests that similarities in leadership styles tend to outweigh the differences. Because of career self-selection and organization selection, hoi polloi who choose careers in law enforcement or real estate require a circuit in common. So do individuals who choose managerial or supervisory roles (David C., 2006).In retrospect, men are more likely to use the transactional leadership style for reward ing and punishing employees. Men are strong and decisive. Women build bridges of empathy. Men get things done. Women care more about the process(Different leadership styles, 2007). As women al federal agencys use the transformational leadership style, they are better at negotiating than men. There are many communication strengths for female leaders they enhance team work, win the self-assurance of the people they work with, and encourage innovation. Male leaders also have many advantages they are decisive when they face difficult situations, have clear sound judgment to set different responsibilities, and remove un compulsioned elements without doubts.3. Male Leaders vs. Female Leaders, Which Make Better LeadersDuring a long period of time, many people think men have the big businessman to manage people well and they are suitable to centering. However, as more and more women are moving into management in recent years, some questions have arisen Do women bring a special check o ff new style of leading into company? The traditional command-and-control style, compared with womens ways of leading, which one is more effective? Which leadership style is better? Which leadership style is better?In 2005, a year-long study set a way out of characteristics that distinguish women leaders from men when it comes to qualities of leadership. The study findings are summarized into four specific statements about womens leadership qualities Women leaders are more persuasive than their male counterparts. When timbre the sting of rejection, women leaders learn from adversity and carry on with an Ill show you attitude. (Women Leaders study, 2005).Esther Wachs, the author of the book Why the Best Man for the transmission line is a Woman The Unique Female Qualities of Leadership, makes research on the careers of fourteen cabbage female executives among them the President and CEO of eBay to find out what makes them so victoryful. She found women has a willingness to reinv ent the rules an ability to sell their visions the determination to turn challenges into opportunities and a focus on high touch in a high tech note world (Lowen L.).Women in both staff and line positions were more likely to be leader-style executives than their male colleagues. During 1990s, there were only small part of women fill in managerial positions and most of them stayed in house looking after babies and doing housework. But just after several years, more and more women become white-collars and get high-leveled jobs. Organizations pull in women have better performance than expected. In 2005, the number of women ascent into slip away management positions in large companies has increased nearly 60 share over the last decade. In both the UK and Ireland, women represent more than 45 percent of the workforce (Gurdal I., 2005).From the data we can see, the speed which women moved into top positions is very fast. Nowadays, it is common to see female leaders in organization, a lthough they are guide over the minority. Since technology develops rapidly, what the company concerned most in the future is for people. Interactive management, fictive problem handling method, and effective communication skills are more valuable for an organization than other aspects. All these characteristics as important for future development and success are the qualities female leaders have. So to some extents, it seems that female leadership style is more and more suitable for companies.Women have the ability to create brand new corporation culture, which is different from male leaders produced. The structures that women establish seem to be flexible and these structures can help to create more interactive environment for a company. Since women also tend to discuss problems more openly and utilize group-think to seek solutions, much(prenominal) solutions are often more acceptable to teams (Gutirrez M., 2008).According to what mentioned above, female leaders have many adv antages outweigh than male leaders. But this does not mean male leaders are not good. There is still ofttimes superiority which male leaders have. Many studies show there are not stools of differences between the qualities of men and women leadership styles. Each genders leadership styles have their good points.Since male leaders are more masculine, they are good at solving problems, delegating, and influencing superiors. Female leaders are more feminine, they are more likely to be supporting and rewarding others, building team and consulting. Interestingly, some male leaders are better at networking, which generally is seen as a feminine behavior. Some female leaders are better than males at solving problems, an ability regarded as male leadership style.4. The Trend of Leadership Style4.1 Feminine leadership style is growingThe general perception of business management before was a structure dominated by males whose leadership style was hierarchical, tough, action-oriented, and level off autocratic. In most peoples mind, the ideal leader should be regarded as an independent, tough, individualistic hero. But today a new generation of women is bringing to business a different style often described as more consensus-building, more likely to encourage participation by others, more open and inclusive, and even more caring than that of many males.Now a new wave revolution created by women is coming. Many females begin explore their own way to top management positions. The way is not sitting down under old rules and habits that have proved effective and suitable for males, it derives from womens own experience and their unique grounds of the world.T he World YWCA Secretary General Kanyoro says attitudes toward leadership changing mentioned this These newly admired leadership qualities of shared leadership nurturance and doing good for others are today not only sought after but also indeed needed to make a difference in the world.A feminine way of leading include s assist the world to understand and be principled about values that really matter (Kanyoro M., 2006).In modern society, domination is no longer a habitual leadership style. Todays work force is better-educated. Nowadays, more and more young professional workers are joining into the organizations. They demand to participate and contribute. In some cases, they have noesis or talents their bosses dont have. Normally, these kinds of workers are likely to respond more to interactive leaders. They hope their leaders can be flexible, interactive, trust and encouraging rather than rigid, right-wing, serious, and restraining.Todays company requires leaders who not only are risk takers, but also are capable of hearing the ideas of others and really give them the power to use some of the ideas in changing business making them successful. Listening, encouraging and sharing information with people are the keys to success for best leaders. Just like the President of the nearly $500-million-a- year cartridge holder group of Meredith Corp. said Companies that try to manage in the old top-down, hierarchical, drill-sergeant way is just doomed (Nelton S., 1991).Many experts agree that women are more likely to have the ability to deal with the complicated problems existed in the company. They are more active in building networks, listening, resolving conflict, and getting people to work together. In cast upition, women can help companies be more competitive because they see business opportunities as a result of their own experience. Many female leaders have the authority that they can help company grow very well in an international market. Although men still run the world, more and more people realize that it might be in better shape if women were more often in charge.Female leadership characters can help companies solve three study problemsthe need for better customer service, the demand for high quality, and the need for leadership itself (Nelton S., 1991). Gradually, m any male leaders start to use the so-called feminine tools of leadership without embarrassment. Being more male than male is no longer effective for women leaders on controlling a company. Women leaders have more opportunities to use the styles that are more natural to them as individuals, whether soft or tough.As never before, the world is seeking capable women as organism the female leader. Its chance most quickly on the entrepreneurial side, as well as on the corporate side. A large growing pool of women will have the chance to show their executive talent. According to the research on Google, in United States, more than 4 million of women have already started at the top by launching their own companies. In order to nurture the development of women leaders, many companies encourage mentoring for women. They create situations that facilitate informal, on-the-job advice for women. Some companies also add women to board of directors.4.2 Different leaderships blend togetherAlthough t here are many advantages by using feminine leadership style, smart companies are making path for a diversity of styles, encouraging the development of women leaders along with the men. Male leaders are better at giving orders, while female leaders like to build the bridge between employees and her. They enhance team work more than male leaders and they more focus on the detailed things during the process. On the contrary, male leaders always lead in a macro point of view. Men and women can learn strengths from each other. Many women are corporate trust the best of the traditional styles, such as focus on performance, into their leadership style, while men are adopting the so-called soft management approaches that women use effectively. For the good businesses, these different styles should be complementary rather than confrontational.If two men or two women work together, it may not be more effective than men and women work together. At the top of the company, if different genders work together, they can produce harmony and comfortable environment and develop the companys potential to higher point. For an organization, in order to fully realize its potential, it is vital to meld different leadership styles together.No matter what kind of way the leader uses, the critical thing for the leader is to know the strong and weakness the style they use most frequently. To be effective in the workplace, the leader moldiness also realize that switching between different styles can make his or her company have better performance.Dilemma Faced by Female Leaders in Todays SocietyStereotyping LeadershipWhen we chew out about the two types of leadership -one is predominantly masculine and the other is predominantly feminine, we would think about two different kinds of figures men in the military and on the playing field to train soldiers, and women in the home to manage the house and nurture husbands and children. Since many women have been married and have children, most of them spend higher average hours of housework than men per week. The competitive pressure is growing higher and higher in todays society, women have to strive to balance their professional careers and family roles. Some people think female are not suitable for being leaders because women always consider their family a lot and can not spend all efforts on work. Womens inability of being leaders is not because they lack adequate leadership characteristics it is because they do not have time and energy. Widely shared gender stereotypes are in effect the genetic code of the gender system, since they constitute the cultural rules or schemas by which people perceive and enact gender difference and inequality (Carli L., 2001).Male and female management styles are distinct. In many cases, managerial stereotypes fit with gender stereotypes. People stereotype women as being better at encouraging, supporting and taking care while men are stereotyped as being more direct, kinglike and taking charge. Many people think if the leader is a female, she is more likely to discuss with their employees when making a decision. To the contrary, if the leader is a male, he would decide by himself and influence superiors to follow him. People always consider man can better achieve a solution than women. Today, the number of men in top management positions is still much higher than women. Only a quite small part of women can enter top management field, let alone being CEOs.No matter what leadership style female executives choose, they are more likely to be perceived negatively than men. Female business leaders act unchanging with gender stereotypes are considered too soft. But if they go against gender stereotypes, they are considered too tough. To explain these, when a female leader exhibit traditionally valued leadership behaviors such as assertiveness, she tends to be seen as competent but not personable or likable. If she adopts a more stereotypically feminine style, people li ke it but not see it as having valued leadership skills. So there is a double-bind dilemma for women in leadership Damned If You Do, Doomed If You Dont (Study, 2007).So todays female leaders are really at a deadlock. Even though they tried very hard to become leaders, they still have confine positional power. Many people do not agree women become leaders because they regard all of women as a whole, and all of them have the same characteristics in other words, womens character flaw. In those peoples mind, since most women are sentimental, they should be tender and shilly-shally since they are approachable, they do not have the determination to make punishment or criticize since they are likely to support and encourage others, they do not have the power to influence superiors, etc.Stereotyping is strong and horrible, it gives women more and more pressure when they pursuit higher positions. Although many women have diversity trainings before they enter into executive positions, they still feel powerless to eliminate the stereotypes. The effect of gender stereotyping can be devastating, it block the way they pursuit their career, whittle down their confidence, bury their talents and potential and increase the huge gap in business leadership. single day women will be fully accepted in senior positions, but before this day comes true, women still have much further to go.Many companies have already realized the bad environment and unequal opportunities for women. In order to help women achieve their advancement and argue for their rights, some organizations have already taken active measure to avoid and resist gender stereotyping. Women leaders performance should be shown and supported, especially when they are in the fields dominated by male. Company should also create a gender-sensitive workplace, to give women the same opportunities to take part in the work discussion. Another way is to give managers, executives, and even employees the facts of life about ste reotyping. This can give them the idea that it is important to improve gender quality and let women have more confidence to strive for their rights. Furthermore, objective standards must(prenominal) be used when evaluating peoples achievements. It is sure that with equitable and supportive business environment, the organization will have better-educated workforce, enjoy better business performance and become more compatible in the market.6. Suggestions for Good Leadership StyleRegardless of the size of the company, both men and women business leaders have a lot they can teach one another about leadership, as well as the members of their own sex. As they learn from one another, they can bring strengthened leadership abilities to their companies. Here are some suggestions for good leadership styles.6.1 Listen CarefullyFor this point, women leaders tend to be better listeners than men. Listening is the key because leaders can learn from the people who work for them by listening. If fo llowers know their leader is open, the leader even hears the downside directly. Listening to others is a kind of way to gather information. It enables leaders to keep making changes to improve the organization.However, listening doesnt always mean agreement. Listening to a person doesnt mean you should decide it in his or her way. Leaders should be good at filtering useful information. Some leaders meet with a different group of 15 or more non-managerial employees for round-table discussions every month. By public lecture with those employees, leaders can get to know people at levels they might never see. The purpose of the round-table discussion is communication, but a wise leader makes a point of listening more than talking.6.2 Being Decisive determination is defined as being characterized by firmness and decision (Being decisive, 2007). Being decisive doesnt mean having a closed mind or being bullheaded. A good leader should know when to stop building consensus and gathering inf ormation to make a decision. Decisiveness is an area that women could probably learn something from men.6.3 Be Willing to Express Your EmotionsIn fact, there is always a wrong perception about management. People always think soft management means the leader is sensitive, caring and supportive, and hard management means the leader is tough and draw the lines. But actually, a lot of the tough guy is really cowardly and ineffective management. Managers who take the hard approach sometimes are hiding behind a shell, they are cowardly to confront their own emotions and feelings. They scare to show it in public.Dont be afraid to show your feelings to your employees which are important for both male and female leaders. Because it is a way to show your faith and honest, and it is also an opportunity to build the bridge of trust among people. Many leaders find when they stop hiding their emotions, their reputation among employees is higher. Instead of considering being soft, they receive mo re respects from their employees. Cry doesnt mean you are wimp. Leaders who cry for their employees outstanding performance or regret for their own leading mistakes lift that they take employees performance and achievements seriously.6.4 Doesnt Let Your Ego Get in the WayNo matter you are a man or a woman, you have to learn that there is no place for ego in leadership. Only one person can not make a company successful. data track an organization its a team effort and a team attitude. If something is good, both leader and followers will all take credit. But if it is bad, they all take the blame. Leaders should not be too proud of them and focus on making profit for their own, since it will be found sooner or posterior and followers will not trust the leaders any more. Dont be egotistical does not mean you can not get to the top if you want to. But what the leader should make it clear is that the more people you try to take along with you, the faster youll get there and the longer youll stay there.6.5 Be YourselfDont try to force yourself into a certain style thats not natural to you, even if you think its expected of you. Leaders should aware that different people have different expectations, you can not satisfy everyone. Do not lose yourself. Female leaders are strong professionals, but they can still contain dresses instead of masculine-looking suits. They can also keep a jar of candy in the office, which is regarded as a typically female touch. Believe it or not, such little things can produce an environment of communication and friendliness.You can learn to draw on other leaders styles, however, to enrich your choice of tools. Leader should build on his or her strengths in terms of the personality, and it basically comes down to what works best for him or her.7. Does only sex determine the leadership style? close of the male leaders can set legible responsibilities, but that does not mean women leaders can not. So all of these characteristics described for male and female actually do not have clear boundaries and are not the unique ones just aim at one gender. The leadership style is not just influenced by gender, the style also develop out of personalities and life experiences. Each leader has a predominant style, but the other aspects of leadership must also be present as tools to use. If men do not feel embarrassed to show some kinds of feminine ways of leading, they can also use them directly and effectively. In some cases, female leaders are also comfortable to show use some male leadership styles when necessary. In very difficult and dangerous situation, there may be just only one right decision. The leader should use it, no matter what gender the leader is.For many successful male and female leaders, their partners (have different gender) are linked by neither marriage nor romance. Men and women in senior management all work for long hours and are motivated by the achievement they made.Leadership style is also determined by the types of operations executives run. If the leader oversees pattern and production, he seems to be more low-key than the other one who is responsible for sales, marketing, and finance. The second leader needs to be more intense and aggressive so as to increase the performance of apartments which he or she charges. If leaders responsibilities require more structure, they should be more strict and rigid. On the contrary, if they need to deal with inventive people, they should be more fluid, spontaneous, and flexible. From a get-somebodys-attention standpoint, it is beneficial for the leaders to be direct, no nonsense, and get on the table what they want.8. ConclusionIn retrospect, males tended to be more task-oriented females tended to be more relationship-oriented. Women tend to employ a more democratic, participative style while men tend to take a more autocratic, directive approach. Self-selection and adaptation are factors common to female leadership, while delegation and co ntrolling are factors common to male leadership. Female leaders are more likely to be supporting and rewarding others, building team and consulting. Male leaders are better at solving problems, delegating, and influencing superiors.Human flexibility combined with cultural experiences allows men and women the ability to do more or less what they choose versus being locked into stereotypical behaviors. For example, men are capable, although maybe not comfortable, working within organizations currently identified with womens styles. Also, women can and do adapt to military leadership styles when required. Although there are lots of differences between male and female leaders, they can still successfully work together, to communicate effectively, and contribute equally to the work place.Nowadays, more and more leaders become introspective but decisive, caring yet competent. Companies seem to understand giving the chances to a variety of leaders to grow and shine is good for business. Al l in all, whether a style is masculine or feminine, the best leadership style depends on the organization. A nontraditional leadership style can be effective in organizations that accept it. The most competitive organizations will take leaders wherever they find them, no matter what sex they are. Thats not only the essence of capitalism, but also the law of survival of the fittest.