7 LESSONS MAN CAN LEARN ASK WOMEN ABOUT LEADERSHIP

There are many misconceptions that women should imitate men when leading: A man has most of the leading roles, so they must have a lot of leadership advantages, so why do so many women? not act like men?

But this logic doesn’t account for the relatively dismal performance of most leaders – the dominating men. The real problem is not the lack of capable women; that is too little obstacle for incompetent men, which explains the excess of overconfident, narcissistic and lack of integrity in charge. Indeed, research shows that the prevalence of male senior leadership is not the product of superior leadership talent among men. Instead, large quantitative studies, including meta-analyses, indicate that gender differences in leadership talent are either absent, or that they actually favor women.

With this in mind, it makes more sense to flip the proposed alternative: instead of encouraging women to act like male leaders (who are incompetent), we should ask men to adopt a Some of the more effective leadership behaviors are found in women. This will create a better set of roles who can pave the way for both capable men and women to move forward.

Leadership lessons for men

Here are some key leadership lessons most men can learn from the average woman

Don’t lean on when you have nothing to lean on. There is a tendency to talk about women in terms of qualities such as assertiveness, boldness or confidence. In men, such qualities can manifest as self-promotion, taking credit for the achievements of others, and acting in an aggressive manner. In a logical world, we would promote people to leadership roles when they are competent rather than confident, valuing them on relevant expertise, track record, and leadership capacity (eg. : intelligence, curiosity, empathy, integrity, and trainability).

Know your own limits. We live in a world that celebrates confidence, but it’s much more important to have self-awareness. For example, awareness of your limitations (flaws and weaknesses) is incompatible with soaring confidence levels, and the only reason to be completely free of self-doubt and insecurity is a lack of self-esteem. illusion. Although women are not as insecure as they are described, studies show that they are generally less confident than men. This is good news because it allows them to understand how people see them and gives them the ability to spot gaps between what they want and what they are. People who see themselves in a more important way than others are better prepared, and that’s a solid way to increase your capacity and performance.

Drive through conversions. Academic studies show that women are more likely to lead through inspiration, change people’s attitudes and beliefs, and align people by communicating meaning and purpose in work (instead of through carrots and sticks), compared with men. Since transformational leadership is associated with higher levels of team cohesion, performance, and productivity, this is an important avenue for improving leaders’ performance.

Put your employees before yourself. It’s very difficult to turn a group of people into a high-performing team when your primary focus is on yourself. Imagine someone who is only interested in becoming a leader because they are after a bigger salary, bigger office, a higher title, exposure to more important people. or any form of status. Obviously, they would be less interested in making others better; Their sole goal is to be more successful, instead of focusing on training and developing others. Because men are often more self-centered than women, they are more likely to lead in a narcissistic and selfish way. If the average male leader wants to improve their performance, adopt a leadership style that is less self-centered.

Do not give orders; please sympathize. Throughout history, we have told women that they are too kind and interested in being leaders, but the notion that an unkind and caring person can lead effectively is incorrect. . We don’t live in the Middle Ages, 21st century leadership requires leaders to establish an emotional connection with their followers, and that is arguably the only reason to expect leaders to avoid self-indulgence. automation. Indeed, while AI will take over the technical elements and hard skills of leadership, as long as we have people at work, they will crave recognition, appreciation, and empathy, without only humans – not machines can provide. Men can learn a lot about how to do this effectively by watching and emulating women.

Focus on uplifting others. Women leaders have been demonstrated that they were more likely to coach, mentor and develop their direct reports than male leaders. They are true talent agents, using feedback and direction to help employees grow. This means fewer transactions and strategies in their relationships with employees, and it also includes an openness to hiring people who are better than themselves. This allows them to unlock the potential of others and foster effective collaboration within their team.

Don’t say you are “humble” but be humble. Of course, not all women are humble, but choosing leaders of serious humility will lead to more female leaders than others. male leaders. Humility is essentially a feminine trait. It is also a necessity to be a great leader. Without humility, it would be difficult for anyone responsible to admit their mistakes, learn from experience, and take into account other people’s views and be willing to change for the better. Perhaps the problem is not that men are unwilling or unable to show, but that they often dismiss them for leadership roles when they do. This must change, as humility is a key determinant of leadership effectiveness in both men and women.

And finally, the only controversial aspect of our view is the notion that increasing female representation in leadership will enhance rather than decrease meritocracy. The best gender equality interventions focus on equality of talent and potential – and that only happens when we have gender-equal leadership to allow men to learn a different leadership approach. from women as well as women are always advised to learn leadership approach from men . This article is a short slice. Men, lessons accelerate your leadership development. Ladies, here are the reasons why you should be the leader and why you should ask for what you deserve.

GEM Global translated and shortened from Harvard Business Review