>Do women make better leaders than men because they are more concerned about
>their employees feelings which helps the employee feel appreciated which in
>turn helps the employee to be more effective.
I have currently been working in a structure that has the two layers of
management above me which are both women. That higher level is the plant
manager. In the past five years I have not noticed the phenomena of which
you refer, more accurately I have not noticed a difference between them
(sex= female) and previous managers ,many over the 18 prior years
(sex=male). I would submit that this small sample (with all the
limitation therein) is not generalizable but I offer for consideration the
thought that the behaviors you are referring to are more a function of
organizational culture. To have become "successful" women needed to be
viewed in a favorable organizational light and therefore needed to emulate
previous accepting behaviors. Therefore even though their sex is female,
within the organization they are gendered males. Admittedly this is a
simplistic view of a complex process, but I do see it as reproductive.
Another question might be if the process is reproductive (within a
specific context i.e. an specific organization) how does/will change
occur? Will current successful women mentor newer women who share their
world view? Will those people (the more caring ones) ever find a pathway
within this organization? ............ Having lived my life in a
manufacturing environment I have not seen the type of women you refer to
rise beyond a certain organizational level. Maybe those that care move
on, sensing this isn't the place for them ........... Therefore as for
the question.... no significant difference, caring (the attention to
feelings) is not a KRA for the management I have known, male or female.
--"John D. Truty" <jtruty@mindspring.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>