Our group consists of Anita W Sampson, Trudi R Harrison, Victoria Swingler and Franka Butler. We corresponded via E-mail and shared our views on this topic. We agreed that women do not lead very differently than men do. Our view is supported by the scientific studies conducted and to our amazement, our findings, when discussing the topic, are reflected in every point in the various sources and studies we reviewed. Therefore, we decided to focus this paper on the scientific evidence found in studies and research because it directly reflects our feelings on this frequently debated issue.
Gender is not supposed to make a difference when it comes to effective leadership style and leadership characteristics of female and male leaders. Today's workplace has a changing vision of what makes a competent leader and is adapting to the work environment of today's diverse workforce (www.findarticles.com). However, many interpretations of research findings and scientific data focus on the differences between female and male leaders. Previous data was reported through a male's point of view often excluding female's contributions in the workforce.
Extensive research was conducted about gender differences at work and it was concluded that, women's skills and abilities in the workplace were often equal to or better than their male counterparts in a variety of areas (www.ateamware.com). Bosses rated men and women equally able. Subordinates and peers rated women slightly higher. .
The findings indicate that men and women have the same strengths and weaknesses and support the position that people should not be judged by their gender but as individuals (www.ateamware.com).
Women and men face the same challenges of leading and motivating people. Men and women approach these challenges in similar fashion, but women tend to be effective at mastering the skills required for continued success. To be a successful leader, both women and men should focus their professional development by giving performance feedback, employee development, and building conflict resolution skills (www.
