Throughout history, leadership positions were mainly held by men in nearly all sectors. However, things have finally started to change in the past few decades. Even though we still have a long way to go, women have started to get their due right in many organizations. Many women are now making their way up the corporate ladder and serving in leadership roles.
Are Women Leaders Any Different Than Men?
Yes, they are!
Although responsibilities for both men and women remain the same in any given leadership role, their leadership styles are significantly different.
How Are Women Leaders Different From Men?
Female leaders are generally found to be more empathetic, compassionate, and willing to reach a compromise than men. On the flip side, they may be less willing to take as many risks as men because of the multiple hats they wear from day to day. Research has also shown that women tend to have a transformational leadership style, whereas men tend to rely on the old-school transactional or authoritative leadership styles. Men prefer to lead, control, and give orders. Women, on the other hand, like to mentor and help their team members and subordinates grow.
Female leaders also promote cooperation and collaboration among their team members. They also tend to be more cooperative themselves and prefer having flat organizational structures to create and promote a friendlier and more collaborative work environment. However, being cooperative and empathetic doesn’t mean that women leaders aren’t capable of getting the work done in due time. Female leaders are also highly task-focused. They know how to get things done and achieve tasks.
So, Does That Mean Women Leaders are better than Men Leaders?
It is a universally agreed-upon fact that men and women leaders have significantly different leadership styles, traits, and behaviors. However, these differences do not make any gender better than the other. Each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. An ideal leader would be someone who’s willing to accept their mistakes and shortcoming and open to learning because it is only when you’re ready to learn and grow that you can help others do the same.
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