Stereotypes: Gender and Leadership

by | Mar 12, 2014 | balance of masculine and feminine, feminine leadership strengths, feminine strengths, gender diversity in leadership, gender stereotypes, gendered definitions of leadership, Masculine Feminine Difference, masculine strengths, women in business, women in leadership | 0 comments

I recently read about a theory called “stereotype incongruity.” It means that stereotypes of leaders “match” stereotypes of men more closely than they do stereotypes of women. This kind of thinking is real; it is behind the gendered view of leadership. The thinking is flawed, first, because stereotypes are not true; many women fit masculine stereotypes. Second, it is flawed because the stereotype of leadership fails to recognize the value of feminine leadership strengths. I agree with John Gerzema that leaders today need to have both masculine and feminine strengths!