By Naina Bhardway, News Editor (@NainaBhardwaj96)
Women perform better than men on four out of five traits of effective leaders according to research carried out by Øyvind L. Martinsen, Head of the Department of Leadership and Organisational Behaviour at BI Norwegian Business School.
The traits analysed covered the widely recognised traits of effective leaders, including the ability to withstand job-related pressure (emotional stability); the ability to take the initiative and communicate with clarity (outgoing); an ability to innovate, to retain curiosity and ambition (openness to new experiences); the ability to support colleagues and work inclusively (sociability); and, finally, an ability to set goals, to be thorough and to follow up (methodical).
With his colleague Lars Glasø, Martinsen analysed data from a survey of nearly 3,000 managers – more than 900 of whom were women, more than 900 in senior management and nearly 900 from the public sector to reveal the findings of their research.
The sole area in which women performed less well was the ability to withstand job-related stress, most likely because females often feel as though they have to prove themselves by taking on certain or extra tasks – something which men seem much less likely to do.
Anyway, what the study shows is that many female leaders are as good as or even better than males.
Martinsen concludes by asking “We live in a time when the status quo is being challenged – what better time to finally make the most of the female talent out there and to shatter the glass ceiling in our vital institutions?”
