Reflection 2

How do you think gender informs leadership style? How do you think your leadership strategies vary (or do they) when you are leading a group of only women vs. men and women?

Leadership strategies do change when leading a group of women vs. men and women. I feel that to lead a group of women would be somewhat easier. I say this because being a woman I could think of general ways to lead a group of women. After getting to know the group I can work on specifying strategies of working with the group. On the other hand, it would not be the same if men were put into the mix. I would have to strategize according to women's interests, as well as men's interests.

History has proven that men are harder to convince than are women. Especially, when the topic has to do with change, women are more willing. For example, when the Suffragists were trying to get equal rights for all women. The men, more specifically, husbands and politicians (whom were only men at the time) were not pleased with this movement. Their comfort zone within the American society seemed to be invaded, because they would now have to look at women in another perspective; other than, wives, mothers, daughters, etc.

One aspect of leading any gender that is neutral is that a leader must keep the attention of its followers, once she/he has gotten their attention. This will never change whether one is leading a group of men, women, adolescents, toddlers, etc. Thus, a leader must listen to its constituents in order to know what they expect, which will in turn, help the leader lead its followers appropriately, if the leader carries out the tasks asked of her/him.