An international study has found that, increasingly, female-style leadership is more coveted in the modern world of business. The study notes that characteristics typically considered ‘masculine’ rather than ‘feminine’ have historically been considered as traits necessary for management. Women, as a result, have tried to act like men.

However, times are changing with management styles evolving towards valuing a mix of so-called ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ characteristics. A study of women managers in the UK, for example, reports that the characteristics most highly valued by organizations in that country were being competitive, co-operative and decisive, while the least valued were being emotional, manipulative and forceful. (Linda Wirth, Breaking through the Glass Ceiling - Women in Management, International Labour Office, Geneva, 2001, p100-101)

This suggests that more female attributes are being recognized and valued.

Furthermore, women executives appear to deliver better financial results. Companies slow to move women into top executive positions may pay a high price, according to the US-based Glass Ceiling Research Centre.

The centre tracked the number of women in high-ranking positions at 215 ‘Fortune 500’ companies between 1980 and 1998. The study found a strong correlation between a company’s profits and the number of senior female executives in its ranks. Companies with the highest percentage of female executives delivered earnings far in excess of the median for other large firms in their industries. (As reported in Harvard Business Review).