Introduction
Societies are characterized by a number of identities that classify people into groups. Gender has been identified as one of the major basis upon which people are classified and treatments and recognitions are then accorded according to gender. Gender is defined as the identification of an individual as either a male or a female.
Establishment of norms in societies that over time defined the roles of each gender led to drawn lines on how each gender was to be treated and the kind of positions that could be held by each gender affecting relations even in workplaces. This paper seeks to discuss the Impacts of gender differences on leadership styles. The paper will look into leadership styles as employed by either gender to identify differences in application of the styles by both male and female leaders.
Difference in Gender Leadership Styles
Leadership Model
The way in which both men and women operate in organizational set ups has been identified to differ with either gender experiencing different traits from the other. Leadership model has for instance been one of the avenues upon which the leadership styles between the masculine gender and the feminine gender has been realized.
Consideration of the leadership model also offers a view of the two genders as either dynamic or conservative parties. While the masculine gender is culturally associated with ancient leadership styles, the feminine gender has been significantly associated with a new approach to leadership. A review of the old model and the new model of leadership, for instance, gives a revelation of the difference in the styles.
Approach to how things are handled under the two genders is, for example, completely different. While a management headed by a man will be based on competition, that headed by a woman will be based more on cooperation. A masculine leader who is in most cases result oriented will establish his focus on individual personalities who can help the organization or the team to achieve its goals and objectives.
This can lead into individual focus with other subordinates being ignored. A feminine leadership is on the other hand based on effective coordination of all subordinates to ensure that any achievement that is made is attributed to the effort of each and every individual.
This thus establishes a major difference in the leadership styles that impact on the subordinates. While the masculine gender will lead to the development of the competitive individuals at the expense of the remaining population, the feminine gender ensures that the whole population grows together through interactions that promote interpersonal learning. The way in which managements are organized with respect to the two genders also illustrates a difference.
The masculine gender has for instance been associated with a clearly defined hierarchal leadership that illustrates positions in the structure while the feminine group is more of inclined to team work in which every person is considered to be equal with same input to the group. The main drives in leadership among the two groups are also different. The masculine group is normally particular of being identified as the winners in the dealings that they undertake.
They as a result can make sacrifices to attain this goal in most cases. Contrary to this opinion, the feminine group are more of focused on the output of the transaction rather that being considered as a winner in a process. This describes the man to be more of interested in quantity achievements that are publicly visible while the female gender is more of concerned with qualitative achievements that can be derived from undertakings (MacGregor, 2000).
The difference in leadership styles are also significantly realized in terms exhibited characteristics of the two groups that have been noted over time. Following their preference of the structure of leadership according to gender, the masculine are more of possessed with elements of control over their subordinates, an element that leads to a clear definition of power along a structure. This provides for submissive subordinates that are totally controlled by the leadership.
On the contrary, the feminine is not concerned with controlling people but rather on the influence that facilitates corporation into team work. Emotions also draw a line between the two managements. There is an established emotional attachment between a female leader and her subordinates that is normally associated with sympathy and even personal involvement of the leader on what the subordinates are going through.
This is further identified with a high level of team work cooperation leading to high standard output. Men on the other hand lack emotional attachment and handles subordinates on the basis of set standards upon which they are evaluated. The mode of application of authority also forms a basis for classifying a leadership as either feminine or masculine.
Though the element of power is normally associated with both leaderships, the masculine leadership uses the power to dictate how things are supposed to be done. It established an authority that is considered to be paramount. The feminine leadership on the other hand views power in terms of influence on people. In this way, a direction is established without dictatorship and motivational elements are realized (MacGregor, 2000).
Command and Control verses Interactive Leadership
The leadership styles that are have been realized among men and women differ across the line of command and authoritative approach. The leadership by men has been identified to be full of authoritativeness. Women leaders on the other hand form a base that depends on interaction with team members for the attainment of their objectives.
The interactive leadership style which has been associated with the general characteristics of the feminine gender has particular features that are culturally possessed by women and somehow lacking in men. Communication skills for example is instrumental in women as it enable them to pay attention, to listen to their subordinates and to eventually associate with the problems that are realized under them.
This offers them a leadership advantage that is derived from the confidence that they win from the subordinates and the subsequent level of influence that is obtained. Impatience in men on the contrary fails to induce this influence and in most cases, where authority fails to lead, the feminine leadership is realized to prevail. Apart from the difference realized due to communication skills, the capacity to reconcile conflicting parties is also realized to be more among women leaders as compared to men.
While playing a middle ground such as a mediator needs a soft approach that is rich in influence, the male approach to leadership will miss the objective of influencing the conflicting parties to hit a compromise through sacrifices from either side and authoritatively impose a decision on the individuals.
The male approach to leadership will contrary to reconciling the parties cause more rifts. The two genders are also different in the way in which they handle people. While women have a rich value in the manner in which they relate to other people creating a cohesive environment for collaboration, men leaders lack the concept (Muse, n.d.).
The interactive leadership that is associated with the feminine gender is also characterized with features that promote individual input into teamwork. The features that are illustrated about the feminine leader establish a ground on which every subordinate is made comfortable under the leadership.
The level of motivation that is achieved from personal relation with the interactive leader also empowers the team members to greater individual and collective output. While the masculine leadership was a traditionally developed leadership approach in its originality, feminine leadership approach is identified to have been pushed by the weak nature of women.
The fact that women are traditionally perceived to assume the features of being “cooperative, supportive, understanding, gentle and to provide services to other people” (Muse, n.d., p. 1), they were not able to adjust into the traditional leadership type that needed contrary characteristics to theirs. As a result, the interactive leadership developed as women got into leadership responsibilities. The history of the two leadership styles therefore also distinguishes them (Muse, n.d.).
Transformational verses Transactional Leadership
Leadership difference as realized between the masculine and the feminine groups can also be classified as either transformational or transactional along the gender lines. Following the passionate features of women, the female leaders adopts influence as a leadership tool that in turn changes team members to change their interest from being self centered into being focused on the achievements of the group.
Leadership by men on the other hand has a lot of formalities in which the subordinates are offered rewards based on what they give to the organization. It thus has a lot of formalities that may not encourage or inspire people out of the management’s normalcy. Punishments that are in addition realized over mistakes made under the masculine transactional approach also presents a lot of limitation to workers due to fear of making mistakes to penalties (Muse, n.d.).
Diversity to Feminine’s Advantage
The trend of results as illustrated by research has also been revealing a significant element over the difference in leadership among the feminine and the masculine.
The two groups are identified to have been different from each other on the natural basis of diversity. This difference which has been associated with both genetic and social factors shapes both the masculine and the feminine to adopting their diversified characteristics in the environment. Engagement in leadership by individuals thus reveals the diversity as properties of the leaders are forced into application.
The association of particular leadership styles by gender which also shapes the input which such leaders can make to an organization is also a factor for consideration in relation to leadership difference. Contributions that can be made by a woman in a given organization are thus different from those which a man can offer under similar circumstances. It is with this respect that leadership as offered by women has come to be realized in the corporate world.
The changing trends in business operations that has required particular leadership skills has indicated the difference in leadership styles across the gender lines since the leadership styles are similarly identified with particular management needs most of which are identified to be better performed by women. According to peter, philosophical views have in particular indicated that the leadership style that is currently required based on the needs by organizations are more of inclined to the nature of women.
The strategic approach to leadership that requires a long term visionary leaders is for instance more easily identified with women rather than with men. Other features of leadership as demanded for by the current environment that calls for the building of strong links between individuals working together has also been critical in the subject of leadership difference by gender.
There exists for this reason an element of natural selection into leadership along gender lines. An organization which has for instance identified its goals to be long term and teams being the basis for its success will most likely go for a woman in leadership in order to capitalize on attaining the organization’s objectives.
The emergence of women in leadership positions as realized in the currently developing trends is the result of such difference in leadership styles and the corresponding needs in management. This difference has been so significant with some experts claiming that under normal circumstances in which both men and women have same qualifications, then women will no doubt beat men out of leadership in professional fields, both public and private sectors.
The change in the environment that has required different leadership styles from those that have in the past been offered by men is thus shifting attention to the characteristics that are in general exhibited by women. Based of their natural values, the women have been favored by the current needs in leadership which has exposed the difference in character between the masculine population and the feminine group (Kelley, 1997).
Difference in leadership styles as illustrated according to gender is also attributable to the way in which gender has in itself affected leadership.
Though some researchers have established the ground that the difference in leadership styles as realized by the different gender is more of a consequence, there are opinions that it is the gender factor that has driven the changes that are being realized across the gender divide. Sociological factors have been significantly identified to have driven the change in leadership styles that has favored the feminine gender.
Based on their capacity to easily socialize, women have shown more tendencies to fit in the models that are outlined by organizations for their operations. This has made women to be more compatible with the currently developed structures and outlined behavior as required by organization. The difference as realized between men and women which has made women to be favorites in fitting into organizational structures have thus given women the opportunity to use their traits to transform leadership styles (Grant, 2008).
There is however still some researchers who believe that there is no significant difference in leadership along genders lines. They argue that roles that are stipulated by management are quite strong to allow behavioral elements to shape leadership (Chrisler & NcCreary, 2010).
Recommendation
Though the difference in leadership style exist between the masculine and the feminine on the basis of cultural considerations and individual personalities to exhibit the feminine category as a preference in the current leadership demand, gender sensitivity and balance still calls for inclusion of men in leadership. An integration of leadership is recommended to blend the features exhibited by the two groups as well as training the masculine group to adjust to the properties that are exhibited by the feminine.
Conclusion
The difference which is realized in leadership along gender lines are a result of cultural instilled properties on women according to norms of societies. Improvements can thus be made by training men on the same.
References
Chrisler, J & NcCreary, D. (2010). Handbook of Gender Research in Psychology, Volume 2. Toronto, Canada: Springer.
Grant, K. (2008). Fourth European conference on management, leadership and governance. London, UK: Academic Conferences Limited.
Kelley, M. (1997). Gender difference and leadership, a study. AU.AF. Web.
MacGregor, M. (2000). Gender difference: a worksheet on leadership styles. Fasten Network. Web.
Muse, M. (n.d.). Leadership, barriers and styles. Google Docs. Web.