Is gender really an issue that we should be discussing in the 21st century? Are men and women really that different? Didn’t the feminist movement that began in the 70’s answer that question?
Men and women are not only markedly different in the hormones that drive them, but they are also different in the way they think. The brains of men and women are actually wired differently. In recent years, scientists have discovered that differences between the sexes are more profound than anyone previously guessed.
Let's face it--there are inherent gender differences that make it more challenging to build cross-gender relationships. And in today's hypersensitive workplace, men are much more cautious in their dealings with women. However, when 50 percent of the workforce is made up of women, it behooves men to build bridges, look for women's strengths, and learn how to leverage them. Coaching women in the leadership pipeline represents a huge opportunity to grow the organization.
Women, if you are clear about what you need and how men can help you, reach out to them. However, if you are vague about your request or don't exhibit a sense of confidence and a "can-do" attitude, you should consider engaging a male executive coach to learn how to become more successful in your career.
John Agno: When Doing It All Won't Do: A Self-Coaching Guide for Career Women
Oscar,
Your quote by Hanna Rosin is insightful. It is true that there are unique qualities that women can bring to the workforce, that do not come naturally to men. The very same can be said regarding men. Men naturally seem to dominant the workforce in the fields of math and science, studies that generally tend to be of greater interest to men, than women. Women tend to dominate helping professions, such as nursing, childcare, administrative support. I believe it is essential that we blend the leadership of men and women in the workforce, as each contributes their own unique strengths and often these strengths compliment the other genders weakness.
Posted by: Sarah | 03/09/2013 at 08:03 PM
I was watching a TED presentation by Madeleine Albright in which she discussed the importance of women helping other women. She touched upon a very important point on how women need to work together in order to help each other succeed and make a difference. She was also speaking about how societies are better off when women are politically and economically empowered. Women tend to fight to improve areas important to the family and society at large such as education, health, and basic necessities. We need to make sure to train more women to be in positions of power to make a difference both in the U.S. and worldwide.
Posted by: Sandra Y. | 03/10/2013 at 05:28 AM
In my opinion (and granted it is just that) much less focus needs to placed on the demographics of a leader. Personally I have never once thought, "Wow this white male, or this black female is a great leader". If a person is a leader then demographics just do not matter.
Posted by: Donald P | 03/10/2013 at 02:57 PM
This is just a final thought on "Do Women Make Better Leaders than Men". In my working career having worked for supervisors booth male and female, I believe that in today's society, we (society) really need to look at the qualities that both men and women posess and then ascertain which candidate would make the best qualified leader. While this has truly been a male dominated field, so to speak, I think that companies need to start assessing that maybe it is time for women to be allowed to lead companies. I think that women bring a different perspective to the table. The time for the "good old boy network" needs to be a thing of the past, especially when it comes to politics, so much that it is definitely (my opinion)time for a woman to lead out great nation. Again, this is just food for thought.
Posted by: Chuck Horton | 03/10/2013 at 09:30 PM
I definitely don’t believe that men possess better skills than women and I don’t believe that women possess better skills than men in leadership roles. Men have just been allowed to do it much longer and society has to catch up to that idea of change. Both genders exhibit the same qualities that can effectively lead an organization. The characteristics usually associated with men as being more “agentic” and woman as “communal” are a little biased and outdated. Qualities like problem-solving, and having excellent good interpersonal skills or being productive in leading any organization toward change is not characteristic of one gender over the other. I do believe however women are better listeners and because women are raised differently than men that there is a slight advantage to the style of leadership that compliments today’s workforce.
We are now working with a more a more diverse population that will require a more participatory leadership style of which I think women can adapt more easily to that environment.
Posted by: Linda | 03/10/2013 at 11:50 PM