For many people, the concept of leadership means that someone “takes charge” and “tells people what to do.” But how well does this style of leadership really work?
Exactly What Makes An Effective Leader?
Recent research suggests that women leaders have more-or-less similar leadership qualities compared to their male counterparts. They say it’s a matter of personal style more than anything. However, it’s very possible that women in the upper echelons of business got there because they were able to make it in a man’s world—to act, and lead, like men.
To women in the lower levels of management, the picture looks very different. For one thing, standards for appropriate women’s behavior are very different from men’s. Where a man is described as a “tough negotiator,” a woman is deemed “pushy and abrasive.”
Lots of women don’t want to deal with the bad-mouthing and disrespect, and many have a soft-spoken and gentle personal style anyway. But even though she may have a more gentle style, a woman still understands what makes an effective leader.
Watch another video of my #MusingWhileDriving series and share your thoughts about what real leadership is and how you would describe an effective leader in the comments below.
So What Does Real Leadership Look Like?
Transformational leadership (at which women tend to excel) inspires high performance. Team members are encouraged to take ownership of issues instead of waiting for the boss to tell them what to do.
Of course, this style of leadership isn’t limited to women. We need to get away from assumptions that tell us men have a hard time giving support or showing empathy. We should have balanced leadership that takes the best from both leadership styles. After all, sometimes you really do need someone to take charge and tell everyone what to do.
Let’s Grow,
Beate
Beate Chelette is the Founder of The Women’s Code and serves as the Programming Chair for the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO-LA). Once $135,000 in debt and a single mother, she successfully sold her business to Bill Gates in a multi-million dollar deal.
Beate’s supports organizations two-fold. Beate provides leadership development programs for organizations that want to implement the ROI of Balanced Leadership through The Women’s Code, her signature system that educates leaders and helps companies achieve gender equality. The Women’s Code creates and implements programs that improve organizational culture, foster productive work environments and help companies improve their people ROI.
As The Growth Architect she creates outreach and sponsorship programs through customized Entrepreneur skills training following the 5 Star Success Blueprint that shows step-by-step how to grow, build and scale businesses.
Beate is a respected speaker and mentor and is the author of the #1 International Amazon Bestseller “Happy Woman Happy World – How to Go From Overwhelmed to Awesome”, a book that corporate trainer and best-selling author Brian Tracy calls “a handbook for every woman who wants health, success and a fulfilling career.”
If you’d like to book Beate as a speaker on Leadership or Entrepreneurship for your next event please connect here.