Self-help Articles

by Shirley Black, LLM

Historically speaking, it has only been for a short time that women have occupied leadership roles. Now that the dark ages of discrimination are behind us, many women are finding themselves in positions of great responsibility that demand high quality leadership skills. However, precisely because this is such a comparatively recent development, there is not a huge precedent for what constitutes a successful woman leader.

The general consensus on the matter, however, seems to indicate that there is in fact a big difference in the way that the two genders approach the task of leadership. By observing these differences, we can extrapolate from them what the most commonly seen qualities are in successful women leaders, and conversely, how to avoid the mistakes that inhibit them.

1. Undervaluing Consensus

Perhaps because of their desire to “prove themselves,” women often take an overly aggressive stance when it comes to leadership. Instead, experts say, they should focus on facilitating discussion and leading through consensus, making sure each team member is represented.

2. Lack of Openness

Many women understandably have the feeling that they want to be valued for their leadership qualities rather than the fact that they’re female. Because of this, they sometimes close themselves off as a person. In a leadership position, this can be a real mistake. Team members often need someone that they feel comfortable opening up to, and so a leader must be open in return.

3. Lack of Empowerment

In their eagerness to prove themselves valuable workers, many female leaders tend to take too much of a burden onto themselves. Rather, an effective leader, no matter their gender, must learn to empower each individual team member to deliver quality results. Embrace the value of team work, don’t reject it.

4. Straying Too Far from “Group Think”

A common tenet of team leadership is to avoid “group think,” which is when a group of people use the strength of their numbers to facilitate lazy individual thinking and validate bad decisions. Women, however, might take this to an extreme in their efforts to keep the group “under control” by stifling brainstorming and creativity in favor of an overly strict agenda.

5. Lack of Emotional Involvement…

Inhibiting one’s emotional involvement for the sake of fulfilling a preconception of what a leader should look and act like is another critical mistake that women make. Team members tend to respond better when their leader readily shows appreciation for their efforts. Therefore, some degree of emotion is appropriate.

6. …Without Becoming TOO Emotional

There is a limit to the extent that one should become emotionally involved however. Women in leadership positions should take care that their empathetic nature doesn’t get the better of them and prevent them from seeing situations objectively, and handling them in the same way. A degree of ruthlessness is necessary.

7. Force VS Persuasion

It might sound a little outdated, but the power of feminine persuasion should never be overlooked or discredited as a leadership skill. Usually, the ability to persuade through communication is a superior leadership tactic to barking out orders and trying to lead by authority.

8. Focusing on the Glass Ceiling

There is certainly quite a bit of truth to the claim that women still face discrimination in the workplace. However, to fixate upon this is a mistake. Rather, women should acknowledge that sometimes they will not succeed for reasons other than their gender and existing discrimination. Being fixated upon the need to defend one’s self from potential discrimination takes one’s attention off of how to successfully get the job done. A leader has to watch out for this.

9. Being a Leader for Leadership’s Sake

Women sometimes might feel obligated to accept positions of leadership due to fear of looking “weak” or “overwhelmed” if they turn it down. This should be avoided. It’s better to take a leadership position if the position is one that will actively interest you and allow you to do the job with passion and effectiveness. Don’t become just any leader, be a leader of something that really moves you and wait for the right opportunities.

10. Commitment to Excellence

It might be the case that some women are afraid to voice their concerns about a project for fear of the all too common feminine label of nitpicker or perfectionist. While this is a legitimate concern, any leader should always remain committed to excellent results, and manage the team from the beginning in a way that is bound to produce those results.

References:

Engen, M.L. van, & Willemsen, T.M. (1999). Gender and Leadership
Styles: A Review of the Past Decade.
Retrieved March 11, 2008 from the University of Connecticut, Department of Economics Web site: Link

Eagly, Alice H. & Johnson, Blair T. (1990). Gender and Leadership
Style: A Meta-Analysis. Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 108, No. 2, pp.233-256. University of Connecticut Digital Commons.

Gutierrez, Miren. (2008). Is There a Gender-Specific
Leadership Style?
Retrieved March 11, 2008 from Inter Press Service News Agency’s Web site: Link

Alimo-Metcalfe PhD, Beverly. (2002). Leadership & Gender: A
Masculine Past; A Feminine Future?
Retrieved March 11, 2008 from UK Government Equalities Office’s Web site: Link

About the Author:

Shirley Black, LLM, is an Assistant Professor of Business Administration at South Carolina State University College of Business and Applied Professional Sciences. She has extensive academic experience with specialties in legal studies, tax, leadership and professional development.