Women Leaders aren’t better than Men (or vice versa)


By Morag Barrett on October 7, 2014

Posted by Morag Barrett | October 7, 2014Women Leaders aren’t better than Men (or vice versa)The debate continues to rage – are women better leaders than men? Articles are being written, conference panels debate the topic, battle lines have been draw. The twitter storm and social media headlines continue. A Harvard Business Review article dove into the topic, you can read the findings here and the conclusions made (spoiler alert: in nearly all areas the answer was ‘YES’.)If you Google ‘Are women better leaders than men?’ the search returns a staggering 197,000,000 results (as of today) which tells me this is a hot topic of conversation!This desire to compare (and contrast) is endemic in all parts of our work at SkyeTeam. When we are facilitating our leadership programs and high performing team retreats we will, at some point during the proceedings be asked by the participants:How do we compare to other companies / leaders / teams [insert your own comparison group].”Understanding what others may (or may not be doing) to deliver their results is a key step in learning and changing your own game to improve results and achieve your goals. However, in most cases the question “How do we compare with…” is usually asked without regard for the learning that may come from the answer, especially if the team or leader in question is already struggling.As a woman, when I am at my best I can be a great leader, however on my bad days (and we all have them) I can be the worst. I have worked for great and not so great leaders, men andwomen alike.While the research and the debate that has ensued from the Harvard study and the gender debate is no doubt important, for me, the key insights are not necessarily about who is better (or worse) but simply the fact that approaches are different. We all bring our own unique approach to leadership.The question is not “how do we compare to others?” the critical question isIn this moment, do you believe you are the best leader that you can be?”Leadership is not about being better than everyone else. Effective leadership is about youbeing a better leader tomorrow than you were today. It is about the journey. If the answer to “Am I the best leader I can be?” is ‘No’, then what are you going to do about it? and if you are unsure, call or email me. I’d love to hear from you.Thoughts?****This post first appeared on LinkedIn. Click here to follow Morag on LinkedIn.Related ArticlesTags »leadership development denverleadership training colorado Share