The Leadership Styles of Women Policy-Makers

Abstract

As women increasingly contribute to leadership roles that traditionally been occupied mainly by men, the possibility that the leadership style of women differ from the one of men. The differences can, in large part, be attributed to the way families socialize girls and boys. Even though some attitudes around gender roles are declining, the vestiges remain strong enough to affect people’s perceptions, besides its impact on women leadership style. This qualitative paper has prioritizes on leadership style of women policy-makers. The aim is to gain more understanding about female leadership style as a socially constructed phenomenon at organizational level. Data were collected through in-depth individual interviews. Participants interviewed included nine women leaders in the public and private sector who were either teachers/lecturers, or administrators in the education industry. From the data analysis, it was concluded that women use more autocratic and democratic approaches more than delegating and bureaucratic approaches. This study can provide insight into the landscape of women’s leadership roles and how to support these leaders.