What Sets Women Leaders Apart

There has been a renewed interest in ensuring women participation in feminine leaders positions in the recent years. This interest, however, is based on an ill-founded line of reasoning that for women to reach positions of power, emulating men is a necessity. But one look at the failings of (incompetent) male leaders is enough evidence to convince one otherwise. What must be done, in fact, is prevent incompetent male leaders from advancing into ranks of power, so that competent women can.

In matters related to the role of gender differences in leadership effectiveness, studies have found that both men and women are equally capable of being efficient leaders and that the predominance of male leaders does not imply that men are more talented than women. In fact, there are some effective leadership behaviours that are specific to female leaders; behaviours that give them an edge over their male counterparts.

feminine leaders are – studies have shown – generally less overconfident than men, which, interestingly has a positive connotation to it. By being less overconfident than men, female leaders are better able to understand their limitations and are thus able to better prepare for challenges which lead to an enhancement in competence and accomplishment.

While male leaders usually exhibit traits of decisiveness, assertiveness, and higher self-esteem coupled with an authoritarian style of leading, feminine leaders are more empathetic, maintain their focus on teamwork, and have higher emotional quotient. They practice transformational leadership that results in higher levels of team engagement thereby unlocking their subordinates’ potential and developing an emotional connection with them.

According to studies, female leaders are more transformational in their leadership style than male leaders. This enables them to bring out the best in their employees and promote cooperation between the team members. As a result, female leaders are more likely to turn a group of people into a high performing group than their male counterparts.

Female leaders fare better than male leaders in another important aspect of leadership roles and that is in hiring employees. When hiring, female leaders look for people who are diverse, passionate, and smarter than themselves; they do not let their ego stand in the way. When compared to male leaders, female leaders are more aware of diversity and inclusion requirements and therefore make it a priority to have a workplace that is both diverse and inclusive.

It is an undeniable fact that both men and women have their own unique traits that contribute to effective leadership. But it must also be noted that in order to ensure gender equality in leadership roles, the traits of both men and women must be equally valued; the traits of male leaders must not trump over those of the female leaders. Male leaders must acknowledge the effective leadership approaches of female leaders, which will invariably lead to the establishment of a gender-equal leadership framework that does away with gender-based leadership biases and prejudices. Which, undoubtedly, is a worthy goal.