is this her life?

1. Demonstrate both hard and soft leadership skills. Women prefer leaders who encompass qualities that stereotypically lie on both sides of the gender line. They want leaders who are “compassionate, collaborative, and empathetic,” but also provide “assertive and strategic leadership.” They conceded that demonstrating this range of skills can be more of an individualistic trait of leadership, rather than a gendered one.

2. Take decisive action, fast. Women seek leadership that is decisive and action-orientated. A consultative and tentative approach to decision-making is less effective. One mid-career woman observed, “From my perspective men are a bit more direct — this is how things will be done regardless — whereas, I think women may think, this is the way we should do this, but there may be this and this and this that we should take into account.” Mid-career women are multitasking, under tight deadlines, and task-focused; the most effective leadership is that which takes action quickly, and in doing so, enables them to get on with the job.

3. Inspire and look to the big picture. Inspiring leadership aspirants is important as women desire a vision and direction that captures the future. “I’ve had a few male leaders, and I’ve noticed [they] are more relaxed and less anxious, and also more ‘big picture’ in the way they see their role,” one respondent said. The visionary leader is perceived as more confident to take risks. For mid-career women, having a sense of the future direction and how they fit within the organization’s vision focuses their energy and commitment.

4. Balance emotional labor. Women reported that they felt more judged by female leaders. Some of the comments about personal judgment indicated that women can be catty, jealous, and unsupportive. Female leaders can get personal and emotional. However, the respondents also noted that male leaders can be too strategic and unemotional. Having emotional intelligence and knowing how to apply it counters emotional labor and increases the sense of support.

5. Focus on leading. Mid-career women are able to discern those leaders who are controlling and managerial as leaders seeking to consolidate and maintain their own position. This kind of maintenance creates frustration and tension. The leader is perceived as more concerned about their position rather than leading others. This kind of leadership weighs down the action and energies of other professionals. Taking risks and enabling innovation are examples of leadership that drives mid-career women to follow and take action.