Female leadership - more than just stereotypes?
Are women the better leaders or are new prejudices being created under the guise of "female leadership"?
The Covid-19 pandemic presented the world with an unprecedented challenge. But while some countries struggled with the effects of the crisis, a study by the University of Liverpool revealed an interesting pattern: female-led countries often performed better and more efficiently. New Zealand, Germany, Bangladesh - they all had women at the head of government, implemented early measures to combat the pandemic and recorded half as many Covid deaths on average as male-led states. (2)
But what is behind this success? Are women simply the better leaders, or are we creating new stereotypes under "female leadership"? In this article, we address the question: Is the future of leadership female?
A contribution from Lisa Rätze
What is "female leadership" and why do we need it?
Female leadership stands for more than one woman in a leadership position. And yet the term is often used incorrectly in articles and contributions on the topic of "female leadership". In order to better understand the construct of female leadership, we will first take a closer look at the term "leadership":
Leadership is traditionally often associated with characteristics such as dominance and self-confidence, which are usually attributed to men. This phenomenon, known as the "think manager, think male" concept, has existed for around three decades. Interestingly, however, there is no concrete evidence that men are actually better suited to leadership positions. (1) This phenomenon was first described by Schein et al. (1996). The typical characteristics of managers are more similar to those associated with men: Problem-solving and analytical skills, assertiveness, self-confidence, the ability to block out emotions in the work context and an increased willingness to take risks. This culturally anchored paradigm is widespread. (6)
The mindset described above is also reflected in current figures: in 2022, around 29% of German management positions were held by women. This includes board members, managing directors and managers in retail, production and services. (5) The higher the hierarchical level, the clearer the unequal distribution of power becomes: In 2023, the proportion of women on the boards of the 200 companies with the highest turnover (excluding the financial sector) was only around 18%. (3) The figures show a glass ceiling effect: due to the association of stereotypically male characteristics with the concept of leadership, it is often easier for men to climb up the hierarchy, while women hit a glass ceiling once they reach a certain position, which is difficult to break through. (7)
This is countered by the term "female leadership" as a counter-model to the idea that power is reserved for men alone. The term is intended to draw attention both to the fact that there must be more women in management positions and to the fact that there are enough qualified women for these positions. The term stands for diversity, as it is essential for a fair business world that people with different perspectives, experiences and positions share decision-making power.
Female leadership also deals with the question of what constitutes a female leadership style and whether and to what extent women lead differently from men.
But what happens when female managers do not behave in a stereotypically masculine way? Is it a form of adaptation to a male-dominated world of leadership? The resulting question was: How meaningful is the binary distinction between male and female leadership?
Binary stereotypes in leadership
Gender-specific stereotypes are not insignificant, conscious or unconscious, influencing factors at management level. They always play a role when decisions have to be made on the basis of human judgment - for example, in the application process, during promotions or when assigning individuals to new projects and roles.
As already explained, there are certain behaviors and personality traits that are associated with leadership. This is now countered by the image of female leadership that emphasizes characteristics such as empathy, caring, cooperation and a focus on needs. Why is this problematic?
Imagine a woman who is ambitious, self-confident and willing to take risks. Her employees would describe her more as a lone fighter and she comes across as emotionally cool. These characteristics can be summarized under the term "agentic". Studies show that female managers who exhibit agentic characteristics are perceived as less likeable, face more prejudice and are less likely to be hired than male managers who exhibit agentic characteristics. At the same time, men who show less agentic and more communal characteristics (sympathy, caring, cooperation) also perform worse in studies than male managers who primarily show agentic characteristics. (7)
Binary stereotypes therefore not only restrict women and make it more difficult for them to gain access to positions of power, but also men and various people who do not correspond to the widespread "leadership qualities". Instead of creating further stereotypes and new categories under the banner of female leadership, we should focus on raising awareness of gender equality and consciously working through our own prejudices. (4)
Leadership doesn't need gender - but how do we get there?
The greater the gender diversity in leadership positions, the more our image of leadership will change. Until that happens, we need concepts such as female leadership to draw attention to a deficit and promote the establishment of alternative values without giving leadership a new gender.
In order to implement fair practices in terms of gender equity, it is important that decision-makers are aware that their evaluation methods of male and female leaders might be influenced by gender stereotypes. In particular, the masculine social representations that view female leaders almost exclusively as "empathetic" could be problematic for women's careers, as men are (still) often the main decision-makers for women's career advancement. (7)
Individual coaching can be an effective tool for decision-makers to become aware of their gender stereotypes in a protected space so that they can then overcome them sustainably.
In order to minimize gender stereotypes in relation to leadership, it is therefore crucial to consciously tackle prejudice and promote fair evaluation processes that take into account individual skills and performance regardless of gender. By fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment, organizations can ensure that women as well as men receive equal opportunities and recognition in leadership positions.
The future of leadership is therefore not female, but it is also definitely no longer male.
If these conflicts sound familiar to you or if the topic of gender stereotypes has never been addressed in your company before, you are welcome to arrange a free consultation and find out more about how coaching can help to break down existing thought patterns.
Sources:
Burel, S. (2020). (Fe)Male leadership? female leadership! In Quick Guide (pp. 11-28). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-61303-0_2.
Cordis, C. (2020, August 27). SCIENCE IN TREND: Leading women: Women-led countries have coped better with COVID-19, study finds. CORDIS | European Commission. https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/422016-trending-science-leading-ladies-women-led-countries-coped-better-with-covid-19-study-says/de.
DIW Berlin. (undated). DIW Berlin: Proportion of women on the boards of large companies has risen, but usually only one woman at most. DIW Berlin. https://doi.org/10.18723/diw_wb:2024-3-2.
Female Leadership: Does leadership need a gender? | New Narratives. (n.d.-b). https://www.neuenarrative.de/magazin/female-leadership-braucht-fuehrung-ein-geschlecht
Women in management positions in Europe 2022 - Federal Statistical Office. (n.d.). https://www.destatis.de/Europa/DE/Thema/Bevoelkerung-Arbeit-Soziales/Arbeitsmarkt/Frauenanteil_Fuehrungsetagen.html.
Schein, V. E., Mueller, R., Lituchy, T. R. & Jiang, L. (1996). Think manager-think male: a global phenomenon? Journal Of Organizational Behavior, 17(1), 33-41. https://doi.org/10.1002/(sici)1099-1379(199601)17:1.
Tremmel, M. & Wahl, I. (2023). Gender stereotypes in leadership: Analyzing the content and evaluation of stereotypes about typical, male, and female leaders. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1034258.
