The Qualities that Distinguish Women Leaders

April 26 2005 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 a Princetonbased management consulting firm which has assessed the potential of more than two million applicants and employees for over 25000 companies and Aurora a Londonbased firm which advances women and delivers a 20000 member business womens network
Top female executives were also found to be more empathic flexible and possessed stronger interpersonal skills than their male counterparts These qualities combine to create a leadership style that is inclusive open consensus building collaborative and collegial according to Dr Greenberg
Sample and Methods
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
This study included an indepth personality assessment via the Caliper Profile a demographic analysis and interviews with 60 women leaders from some of the top companies in the United Kingdom and the United States including Accenture Bank of America Deloitte Touche Deutsche Bank The Economist Group Enterprise RentACar Ernst Young IBM International Paper Johnson Johnson Kohler Lloyds TSB Molson Coors and Morgan Stanley The women came from 19 different business sectors the highest representation was Finance 26 followed by 7 each in Computer Education Consulting Health Products Services and Real Estate
For comparison purposes the women leaders in this study were matched to a representative sample of male leaders drawn from Calipers 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 everyones ideas
Because women leaders are more open about sharing information they will also talk decisions through with many more people than their male counterparts According to Mara Swan Chief People Officer Molson Coors Theres no question that we ask for more input I like to think out loud And I am very stimulated by other people's thoughts ideas and perspectives Then it's my job to integrate them and come to the best decision
As Dr Greenberg explains The truth of the matter is that the topdown hierarchical approach to leadership doesn 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 Its not about who has the most information but who has the best perspective
Women leaders are more persuasive than their male counterparts
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
The male leaders weve studied on the other hand have a tendency to start from their own point of view explains Dr Greenberg And because they are not as flexible or willing to interact with others the male leaders may tend to force their perspective and convince through the strength of their position...rather than actually persuading
Feeling the sting of rejection learning from adversity and carrying on with an Ill show you attitude
The women in this study expressed a unique approach toward dealing with disappointment rejection or situations that don work out their way Dr Greenberg explains They will feel the sting of being set back They may even dwell on it and tend to be a little selfcritical But then because of their assertiveness they will muster their strength shake it off learn what they need to carry on and a voice in the back of their head will say Ill show you
Women leaders are more likely to ignore rules and take risks
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
Learning a thing or two from men but not being like them
Mara Swan Chief People Officer Molson Coors has noticed that male and female leaders express their differences through language I always considered myself a fairly aggressive woman but early in my career I would find myself asking for permission rather than saying 'Here is what I need and here is why I need it' So I started to change my language just slightly and I was much more successful The one thing women leaders can learn from men is to say what we need But so many women don't like to hear the word no
Are women creating a new paradigm of leadership
The answer may be yes
This study provides preliminary evidence that women bring clear personality and motivational strengths to leadership
We
e looking at a different paradigm of leadership and it plays naturally to the strengths of women says Regina Sacha Vice President of Human Resources for FedEx Custom Critical The tide has turned The leadership skills that come naturally to women are now absolutely necessary for companies to continue to thrive It certainly is the reverse of how it was when I first started out in the workplace It seems like poetic justice
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 redefining 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
About Caliper
Caliper is a global consulting firm which has advised more than 25000 companies on hiring developing team building and organizational concerns Throughout the past four decades from offices in twelve countries Caliper has assessed the potential and performance of over two million employees and applicants Caliper's consultants provide the insights expertise and personal approach needed to help organizations achieve their goals
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This press release was distributed through eMediawire by Human Resources Marketer HR Marketer wwwHRmarketercom on behalf of the company listed above

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