Since Michelle Obama, we all know that women can rock leadership (with style & grace) without having to own the presidential title. Female leaders like the former first lady shine through their ability to connect & mobilize people through compassion, commitment and common values! In reality, however, only little of these skills are being used as the gender gap is still pervading: Women currently only hold one third of managerial positions with declining rates the higher up the corporate ladder (In S&P 500 Companies the percentage of female CEOs shrinks to 5%.)

A Gallup study has proven that it is time for more womanhood in management positions. The super power of women that outsets their male counterparts? The engagement power of female bosses! The study suggests that female leaders on average have better communication skills – which is crucial for the effectiveness of workgroups! Employees that have a woman as a boss receive more recognition & motivation! Female managers exceed male managers at meeting employees’ essential workplace requirements. And female managers themselves are more engaged at work than their male counterparts.

The overall conclusion? Organizations should hire and promote more female managers – because women might in fact be the better leaders!

The engagement power of female bosses!

Michelle Obama portrait by Amy Sherald

Female managers have higher overall levels of personal engagement – According to Gallup’s data, 41% of female managers are engaged at work, compared to 35% of male managers. Because on average female managers are more engaged than male managers, it stands to reason that they are likely to contribute more to their organization’s current and future success.

Employee development. Employees working for a female boss were 1.26 times more likely than employees who work for a male manager to strongly agree that “There is someone at work who encourages my development.”

Communication and feedback. The study shows that female managers, more than male, “tend to provide regular feedback to help their employees achieve their development goals.” Effective communication skills are vital for the efficiency of teams to foster progress & improvement!

Employee recognition. Women in management positions seem to be better at awarding appreciation. Employees with female supervisors were more likely to agree to the statement “In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.” – a crucial factor for the motivation of individuals in a team.

(The jacket I`m wearing is from New Orleans based designer Atella Designs)

 

What do you think? Are women better managers?