Women's Leadership Styles Found to Be More Effective

Nov 7, 2018, 1:44 PM

(from Forbes) The first widely-read book on women's leadership styles, published in 1990, states women in leadership roles

place a high value on relationships
have a bias for direct communication rather than following the chain of command
put themselves at the center of the people they lead
are comfortable with diversity
are skilled at integrating their personal lives and their lives at work rather than compartmentalizing.

Today these skills are valued in both men and women leaders. More recent research has found women leaders to be more effective than men, on average. A 2012 study of 7,000 360-degree performance reviews, for example, found women leaders outranked male leaders in nearly every one of 16 leadership competencies, including taking initiative and driving for results, competencies that are stereotypical male strengths. Gallup research from 2015 found that female managers are better at engaging employees (both male and female) than male managers and were rated higher in areas that required connecting with the people they led, such as giving recognition, providing helpful performance feedback, and getting people in the right role so they would learn and grow. "The best-performing organizations foster a sense of connection and have leaders who care about people," wrote leadership expert Michael Stallard. "Most women, it seems, have known this was the key all along."