By Michele Mees (FEMCO)

“People generally believe that leaders are ambitious, confident, self-sufficient, dominant, well endowed with agentic and competent qualities. Management theorists have regarded behaviors such as competing with peers, imposing wishes on subordinates, and behaving assertively as prototypical of the managerial role. Despite the inclusion of some expectations about considerate and supportive qualities, most managerial roles are strongly infused with cultural masculinity.” (A. H. Eagly and J.L. Chin in Diversity and Leadership in a Changing World, published in American Psychologist April 2010).

One of the challenges for balanced organizations will be to redefine leadership. That’s where balanced leadership comes into play. It requires acknowledging that great leadership involves valuing, developing and using both your masculine and feminine side.

Click here for the full copy of the article of Eagly and Chin, it’s a great read on the inclusion of gender and culture in leadership research and theory.

(Michele  Mees is partner at FEMCO - Female Empowerment Consulting & Coaching - and holds, together with her colleague Danielle Moens , a blog )