Rosalinde Torres studies leadership and advises on leadership practices. In her Ted talk, “What it takes to be a great leader,” Rosalinde gives 3 qualities that make a great leader in the 21rst century. First, a great leader has to the ability to anticipate change to their next business model or in life (Torres, 2014). Anticipating change involves taking stock of who you engage with, how you travel and what you read (Torres, 2014). The second involves building relationships and spending time with a diverse network of people from different backgrounds and expertise (Torres, 2014). The last is being courageous enough to build the emotional stamina to withstand people telling you that your new idea is naïve or reckless or just plain stupid (Torres, 2014). Thus, your diverse experiences, exposures, and relationships will make you a great modern leader. Unfortunately, as a woman, we also have to deal with our juxtaposed status as women and the traditionally held views about leadership and masculinity.

There are more than 70 countries in Europe, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific where women have held top leadership positions. “America is still seen as the policeman of the world, the guardian of the world and we still have a very gendered version of what leadership means,” said Laura A. Liswood, secretary general of the United Nations Foundation’s Council of Women World Leaders, a network of current and former female prime ministers and presidents. Women are expected to be both likable and tough (Bennhold & Gladstone, 2016). To be accepted in many top leadership positions that have been historically dominated by men, women leaders are expected to conform to our female stereotypes of femininity, modest, and credit sharing maternal figures while also demonstrating masculine traits that convey agency and have historically been identified with leadership (Eagly & Carli, 2007). These traits include self promotion, aggressive attitudes, ambition and decisiveness, to name a few. The masculine traits that are stereotypical of not only men-but also of leadership itself are embedded in many parts of our society, making it difficult to break (Eagly & Carli, 2007). However, when women exhibit these traits without also tempering them with the accepted traits that are expected from women, like being communal, well liked, kind, nurturing and warm, subordinates tend to reject the woman leader as inauthentic or too aggressive (Eagly & Carli, 2007).

Women are not less motivated, capable, or less desirous of leadership positions than men. In fact, studies have shown that men and woman don’t lead all that differently, and where both are equally qualified, not more effectively either (Kellerman & Rhode, 2007). Bridging the leadership gender gap is a work that is underway. With exploration into the complex issues that keep women from exiting the labyrinth and moving into top leadership positions, and dealing head-on with the challenge of negotiating the inclusion of differences on a deep and surface-level, we may eventually come to a place of greater equality in leadership roles – regardless of differences in gender.

Works cited

Bennhold, K., & Gladstone, R. (2016, November 11). Over 70 nations have been led by women. So why not the U.S.? Europe. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/11/world/europe/women-world-leaders-clinton-trump.html?_r=0

Eagly, A. H., & Carli, L. L. (2007). Through the labyrinth: The truth about how women become leaders (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

Kellerman, B., & Rhode, D. L. (2007). Women and leadership: The state of play and strategies for change. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, a Wiley Imprint.

Torres, R. (2014, February ). Transcript of “what it takes to be a great leader.” Retrieved October 24, 2016, from https://www.ted.com/talks/roselinde_torres_what_it_takes_to_be_a_great_leader/transcript?language=en