Page 357 - leadership-experience-2008

CikguOnline
CikguOnline
338 PART 4: THE LEADER AS A RELATIONSHIP BUILDER
infl uence, providing more inspirational motivation, being more individually con-
53
siderate, and offering more intellectual stimulation. Idealized infl uence means
that followers identify with and want to emulate the leader; the leader is trusted
and respected, maintains high standards, and is considered to have power because
of who she is rather than what position she holds. Inspirational motivation
is derived from the leader who appeals emotionally and symbolically to em-
ployees’ desire to do a good job and help achieve organizational goals. Indi-
vidual consideration means each follower is treated as an individual but all are
treated equitably; individual needs are recognized, and assignments are delegated
to followers to provide learning opportunities. Intellectual stimulation means
questioning current methods and challenging employees to think in new ways.
In addition, women leaders were judged by subordinates as more effective and
satisfying to work for and were considered able to generate extra levels of effort
from employees.
Recent research has also found a correlation between balanced gender com-
position in companies (that is, roughly equal male and female representation)
and higher organizational performance. Moreover, a study by Catalyst indicates
that organizations with the highest percentage of women in top management fi -
nancially outperform, by about 35 percent, those with the lowest percentage of
women in higher-level jobs. 54

Is Leader Style Gender-Driven?
As more women have moved into highly visible management positions, the question
of whether women lead differently than men has gained increasing attention. Several
researchers have looked at the differences between male and female leaders. Leader-
ship traits traditionally associated with white, American-born males include
aggressiveness or assertiveness, rational analysis, and a “take charge” attitude.
Male leaders tend to be competitive and individualistic and prefer working in
vertical hierarchies. They rely on formal authority and position in their dealings
with subordinates.
Of course, women may also demonstrate these traits. Indeed, the 2006 hit
movie The Devil Wears Prada, in which Meryl Streep plays an aggressive, au-
thoritative boss who enjoys humiliating her subordinates, reminds people that
en can be tyrants in a leadership role, just as some men can. How-
ever, research has found that, in general, women prefer less competi-
Action Memo
tive environments than men, tend to be more collaborative, and are
more concerned with relationship building, inclusiveness, participa-
As a leader, you can choose to employ an
55
tion, and caring. Female leaders such as Deborah Kent, the fi rst
interactive, collaborative leadership style.
woman to head a vehicle assembly plant for Ford Motor Co., or
You can develop personal relationships with
erry Kelly, CEO of W.L. Gore & Associates, are often more willing
your followers and make everyone feel like
share power and information, to encourage employee development,
an important part of things.
d to strive to enhance others’ feelings of self-worth. “It does no good
have a diverse workforce if you don’t listen to their opinions and
thoughts,” says Kent. “I treat people the way I want to be treated.” 56
Professor and author Judy B. Rosener has called women’s approach to lead-
57
Interactive leadership
Interactive leadership ership interactive leadership. The leader favors a consensual and collaborative
a leadership style in which process, and infl uence derives from relationships rather than position power
a leadership style in which
people develop personal
people develop personal
relationships with followers,
relationships with followers, and authority. Some psychologists have suggested that women may be more
share power and information, relationship-oriented than men because of different psychological needs stemming
share power and information,
empower employees, and strive
empower employees, and strive from early experiences. This difference between the relationship orientations of
to enhance others’ feelings of
to enhance others’ feelings of
self-worth
self-worth men and women has sometimes been used to suggest that women cannot lead
effectively because they fail to exercise power. However, whereas male leaders may