Gender Differences that Govern Leadership

As we read in class, perhaps the most relevant and striking example of the relationship between gender and leadership is the recent presidential race where the role of Clinton’s gender was accentuated as a factor that determined not only the media’s bias, but also the voters’ decision. Although I agree that there are subtle differences that govern the uniqueness of each gender, I also believe that many of these differences are social constructions and not a true reflection of the capabilities of each gender. Accordingly, the extent to which gender affects one’s leadership style is largely a matter of how much the individual internalizes the ascribed social roles given to their gender. For example, an RA who is also a football player will most likely hesitate to make decisions where his image as a tough, strong individual is diminished. Similarly, although this is not as pressure-intensive as in the case of the hypothetical RA discussed above, a female RA who is studying education may be expected to exude the image of sisterly or even motherly and thus may force herself to act in this manner. In short, internalization of social roles is possibly the most influential factor that determines leadership styles. On the other hand, this may also be a function of who are the ones in the group that is being led. As a counselor for a camp for kids, I found it much easier to have boys as my campers rather than girls. There are differences in the behavior between the genders, even at a young age, that determine the most efficient way to lead a group. For instance, my male campers preferred to be left to their devices, only interfering to remind them of rules or provide help and participate in their activities. In contrast, the female campers expected me to actively seek out their engagement (or vice versa) and really merge with their group. To some extent, this is applicable even to older men and women as in college students. Thus, an individual’s leadership styles are a function of the extent of social internalization and the needs of the group, as determined by the genders of the members.