Is Leadership Masculine or Feminine?

Is Leadership Masculine or Feminine?

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Today, 189 countries out of 200 are led by men. 467 out of the 500 CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are men. Many of the  leaders are hyper masculine men, who thump their 56 inch chest and roar loudly in a display of male power.

The few women leaders who are successful have been described as ‘ strong’,’ tough’, ‘decisive’ and ‘ bold’.  They need to don the pantsuit to be taken seriously. They need to be of a certain age where their femininity can gracefully recede into the background allowing them to appear, at least, androgynous if not masculine. When there is an outlier, a female leader who gets pregnant in office, we don’t know what to do about it. It creates an uneasy flutter in our depths, a sense of imbalance as though things are not in their rightful place. This is a like a comet, we whisper to ourselves. It will pass and not appear in the world again for a hundred years.

 Yet, in a research quoted in the book, The Athena Doctrine( How women and  the Men Who Think Like Them Will Rule The Future), two-thirds of people feel the ‘world would be a better place if men thought more like women’. The research covers 64000 people from 13 countries.

Half the group was asked to define which traits were masculine and which feminine. Then the remainder rated how vital each trait was to leadership, success, morality and happiness. The data showed that “many of the qualities of an ideal leader are feminine,” including flexibility and expressiveness, and that success, morality and happiness also were associated with feminine traits. It was surprising just how many traits the respondents considered feminine — not just vulnerability, empathy and cooperativeness, but also loyalty, creativity, originality, reason and articulateness, among others.

It seems  as though the world needs these qualities in a leader, yet we are unable to let go our old mindsets, stereotypes and prejudices. What we unconsciously promote prevails over what we may consciously protest against. Women leaders still face many biases. They have to try twice as hard. They have to pay the beauty penalty if they are attractive and have to tone down their femininity to be taken seriously. They run up against the Maternal Wall. 

We need to realize, both men and women that the hyper-masculine world does not serve the male or female. Men too need a better work-life balance, flexible hours, less pressure to be the provider and protector and more time with their kids. They want to put down their armor and be their authentic selves.

There is no way out except through honest open dialogues between the genders. The masculine and Feminine, the Yin and Yang, Shiva and Shakthi need to coexist and be integrated for the betterment of the society.

The Other that we reject or rebel against is a part of ourselves. We need to confront our deepest fears and accept our limitations as well as strengths. We need to create and allow for these crucial conversations, to notice our own biases and pick up the courage to cross traditional boundaries. Leadership qualities need to be freed from their gendered labels.  Then we can have a more fluid, accepting, multifaceted world that allows both men and women ease, freedom and authentic self- expression. Then, each person can fulfil their true leadership potential.

The article is contributed by Ms.Nirupama Subramanian, Cofounder GLOW- Growing Leadership of Women and Co-founder My Daughter is Precious. Ms.Nirupama is committed to helping people discover their potential and lead their lives with passion and purpose. She focuses on ensuring personal growth along with business impact through customized interventions for organizations.

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