Hussin Jose Hejase, Ghada M Chehimi
Leadership is an art and a science that is creative, propelling and disciplined; Leadership underlines relationships at work and in organizations and involves the acceptances of responsibility (Capezio and Morehouse, 1997; Amabile & Khaire, 2008). Further, Ross and Oferman (1997) found that transformational leadership was positively related to levels of pragmatism, nurturance, and feminine attributes, and Adler (2000) felt that in view of changes in leadership roles and organizational practices, female leaders have come to symbolize a new type of leadership that connotes greater effectiveness and synergy than leadership of the past. Appointments of women in leadership roles signal an organizationâs departure from past practices and help it to capture the symbols of innovation and progressive change. Many female executives believe that they must meet a higher standard of performance than their male counterparts. In order for women to approach the highest level, women are expected to have more strength and fewer faults than their male counterparts. Additionally, most women in executive roles feel that developing a style with which male managers are comfortable is critical (Graves & Elsass, 2005). Because of gender roles, women on the rise in organization must make crucial choices. Women must question whether they should strive to beat men at their own game or develop and value alternative leadership styles of their own. However, the quest here, are there constraints to tap on the feminine human capital? What is the status quo of women leaders in organizations?