In particular, the women that have succeeded despite having "female" personality traits and leadership styles have paved the way for a shift in the paradigm that allows for future women to be more readily accepted. Once this occurs, more women will be in management. This allows for the rational-legal authority to also shift, since leaders tend to prefer to be surrounded by their own kind. More women in leadership will beget more women in leadership in the future.
Another method of acquiring real power was to create it. Sharon Patrick notes that if opportunities to build one's power are not immediately present, then those opportunities need to be created. While Patrick discusses this approach as being congruent with her "female" values because the new ventures and partnerships allow her to lead in her own style, creating such ventures is a bold step, and taking such risks is a traditional "male" attribute. Patrick need not adopt a combative management style, but does find ways to use whatever management traits will best help her achieve her objectives.
Others use their specific styles to their advantage. Whereas some managers feel that collaboration, relationship building and consensus-building are undesirable traits that show weakness, some female managers emphasize these traits. It is suggested that this tactic works because the nature of business is changing, and this may well be the case. But relationships...
For example, Jessica Bibliowicz notes that male managers have mentors to help them through their careers. Rubin points out that team sports influence male leadership traits as well. While men may be more straightforward in their management styles, they also value the building of relationships. When female managers exploit their ability to build consensus and forge relationships with powerful people, they too rise. Their methods may be different and their management styles very different, but by leveraging their skills they achieve success regardless of the obstacles.
The thirteen women present a continuum of experiences, from Rubin's "more male than male" approach to Levinson's communicative, teamwork approach, but there is a common thread between the different views. Each woman achieves success by staying true to her personality. There are multiple paths to power -- by being successful, by being well-connected or simply by bulldozing one's way to the top. The method that a woman uses should be congruent with her personality, whether this be with building relationships, with trumpeting her successes in management or by aggressively pursuing opportunities to succeed.
Works Cited:
Muoio, a. (1998). Women and men, work and power. Fast Company. Retrieved June 23, 2010 from http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/13/womenofpr.html?page=0%2C0
