At last, conclusive evidence that females are stronger CEOs than males and far more suited to business leadership roles exhibiting more strategic drive, risk taking and people skills and innovation in their DNA making the fairer sex the more effective leader according to the study, “Female Leadership in Australia”* which collected data from over 1800 Australian male and female CEOs and Managers.
The white paper concluded in April 2008 and conducted on behalf of Steps Leadership Programs by Peter Berry Consultancy using the Hogan Assessment System* clearly shows that women scored higher than males on key issues of strategic drive, risk taking, people skills, aesthetics and altruism and innovation, they equalled males in the area of emotional stability but males won the control and command and bottom line dollar profiles. This study will be presented in its entirety at the Steps Women and Contemporary Leadership Seminar on May 14th in Sydney and May 20th in Melbourne.
Ms Gillian O’Mara, General Manager of Steps says males believe that “bottom line dollars are the only game in town. Their key motives and preferences in life appear to be around revenue, budgets and profit. At work and at home, they are driven by financial opportunities.”
“Males have won the battle too for control and command, which has been the scientific management for the last 100 years. They are task focussed and concentrate on getting the job done without bothering too much with relationships. They are more comfortable with hierarchies, titles silos and processes.
“Women on the other hand are ambitious, bold, mischievous, colourful and imaginative. They are more confident, competitive, visionary and have a stronger presence. Females are more likely to chance their arm with their ideas and passions and will challenge the status quo”.
*Data was collected by Peter Berry Consultancy on men and women on the basis of their position in their organisation. Data was collected on CEOs, their direct reports, managers and supervisors. The participants came from both the private and public sectors, from small, medium and large companies, both national and multi—national. Industries include aviation, health, insurance, local government, recruitment, banking and finance, food services, customer service, beauty industry, law, retail consulting and publishing.