Women leaders tend to be more assertive, persuasive, willing to take risks and have a stronger need to get things done than their male counterparts, according to a new study jointly conducted by Caliper www.calipercorp.com a Princeton-based management consulting firm, which has assessed the potential of more than two million applicants and employees for over 25,000 companies and Aurora, a London-based firm which advances women and delivers a 20,000 member business women's network.
Top female executives were also found to be more empathic, flexible and possessed stronger interpersonal skills than their male counterparts.
While much research has been published comparing the leadership styles of women and men, this study specifically focused on the personality qualities and motivational factors which serve as the core to the underlying gender differences.
For comparison purposes, the women leaders in this study were matched to a representative sample of male leaders drawn from Caliper's database, representing similar industries and job titles.
An inclusive leadership style that starts with questions and leads to decisions.
The difference in leadership styles between men and women starts with listening. Not just listening to form your answer, but really listening, learning, reflecting, then implementing a plan that incorporates the best of everyone's ideas.
Because women leaders are more open about sharing information, they will also talk decisions through with many more people than their male counterparts.
The truth of the matter is that the top-down, hierarchical approach to leadership doesn't work very well in today's economy. With information much more easily accessible, leadership depends less upon protecting information and more upon sharing what is known. It's not about who has the most information, but who has the best perspective.
The strong people skills possessed by women leaders enable them to read situations accurately and take in information from all sides. This willingness to see all sides of a situation enhances their persuasive ability. They can zero in on concerns or objections expressed, weigh these, then address and incorporate them into the grander scheme of things as appropriate. These women leaders genuinely understand and care about where others are coming from, allowing them to approach a subject from others perspective. The people they lead feel better understood, supported and valued.
Women leaders scored significantly lower than male leaders in external structure (adhering to established procedures) and cautiousness. They were also significantly higher in their level of urgency and risk taking. And they have very high scores in abstract reasoning.
The women leaders are more likely to push back if they are overly bound by regulations and rules, engage in more risk taking and come up with innovative solutions. They tend to have a greater need to get things done than male leaders and are less likely to hesitate or focus on the small details.
Dr. Greenberg says, Women leaders are venturesome, less interested in what has been than in what can be. They will run the risk of occasionally being wrong in order to get things done. And with their fine abstract reasoning skills, they will learn from any mistakes and carry on.
Are women creating a new paradigm of leadership? The answer may be yes. This study provides preliminary evidence that women bring motivational strengths to leadership.
Dr. Greenberg underscores, The nature of the information economy favors teamwork and requires a leadership style that is more inclusive and accepting, rather than autonomous and controlling. Women leaders have shown us that influence and persuasion have taken the place of giving orders and delegating tasks.
He adds, The strong leadership profile exhibited by these women on both sides of the Atlantic points to the future. The female view that we strengthen ourselves by strengthening others is re-defining leadership. These women leaders share a strong profile. They are assertive, persuasive, empathic, willing to take risks, outgoing, flexible and have a need to get things done.
Dr. Greenberg concludes, These personality qualities combine to create a leadership profile that is much more conducive to today's diverse workplace, where information is shared freely, collaboration is vital and teamwork distinguishes the best companies.
Ed Hutchison is CEO and President of the North American Boxing Council (NABC.net). He works with pro athletes, trainers & managers at all levels. He writes daily on his personal website http://www.winrz.com - Winrz.com Home Page for Winners about self help, leadership and success.