Gender and business leadership: How much does it matter?

As a woman and a leadership development consultant, it’s no surprise that I am often asked about the differences in leadership between men and women. 

It’s always a politically charged hot-button issue that leaves little room for nuance, which is unfortunate, because the differences in gender when it comes to leadership are full of nuance. Yes, there are differences between the sexes — biologically, psychologically and otherwise that come into play in leadership style. And, of course, there is no difference in ability or results in leadership between the genders. Both research and the eye-test support this. Each individual leader is unique with their own unique way of handling their job, but on average we see tendencies for each sex that bear out over time. Women tend to be more democratic and participative in their leadership, often favoring a collaborative, consensus-building approach, while men tend to favor a more autocratic and top-down approach. Female leaders often show transformational leadership, acting as role models and reinforcing desired behavior via rewards. Men tend to favor the stick over the carrot, exhibiting transactional leadership styles. I use the word “tend” because I’ve encountered leaders of both sexes who exhibit the exact opposite leadership style that is normally attributed to their gender. We are individuals first and foremost. 

The big question: Which leadership style is better, the style favored by females or by males? The answer…