Issues for Women (or Minorities) in Leadership Research Paper

Issues for Women (or Minorities) in Leadership - Research Paper Example However, leadership is never an easy task. It takes great amount of skills and abilities to become a successful leader. Although there is no clear and definite description of a successful leader, there are some qualities which are required in a person for him/her to be a good leader. First of all, a leader needs to have a vision in his mind and should be able not only follow it, but also share it with his team members. Besides this, the leader needs to practice integrity, be dedicated towards the organization or the task, have creativity and be open to criticism and new ideas. Lastly, the leader also needs to be humble and fair towards others (Hakala, 2008). When it comes to being in the role of a leader, women are much different than men. Not only do men and women differ in their leadership styles, there is also considerable difference in their vision, approach towards problems and thinking patterns. However, being different does not mean that women are incapable of being successful leaders. There are several examples of women leaders who have been praised a lot for their leadership skills. But, on a mass scale, men still dominate in the capacity of leadership. This is because of a number of issues women face in leadership. Firstly, women in the social and cultural structure are seen to be less dominating than men. This is seen by the predefined notions and the practices which maintain a system of power in the society. This social structure has the tendency to shape decisions, interactions and social relations. As a result, researches have revealed that men and women draw out different responses from the people around them. The difference is primarily due to the above stated cultural and social factors. Hence, women leaders stimulate different reactions than male leaders because of preconceived expectations. This makes it very difficult for a