Reading Bass’s piece, I thought it was interesting that the study of transactional vs transformational leadership yielded a difference between genders. As he noted, being more transformational than transactional makes you a better leader and research found that women are generally more transformational in their leadership styles. Going off of those two notions, wouldn’t that make women better leaders? If that’s true, why are women underrepresented in elite leadership positions? And if women are more transformational than men, why were the only examples Bass gave of transformational leaders men?
I couldn’t help but think about the gender difference in leadership. Women are commonly seen as inferior leaders for a multitude of infuriating reasons, yet Bass is providing evidence that directly contradicts that perception by saying women are not only be equal leaders but may be superior leaders in at least one aspect. This assertion is both validating and frustrating. It’s validating because as a woman I know women are just as capable at leading as anyone else and having that confirmed by a scholar well-regarded in that field is a nice confirmation. It’s also frustrating because this Bass piece was published over 20 years ago, yet that perception of women as weak leaders is still pervasive. We need to figure out how to get Bass’s data to be common and believed knowledge.
I was also frustrated by the assertion that females may make more transformational leaders– but how do we know this is true if past studies only focused on male-dominated companies? I was frustrated with Bass’s inclination to study “female-dominated” fields (he gives nursing as an example) because that insinuates there are certain industries women should lead in. Why not change gender norms and put women in CEO/executive positions, rather than study males and females as a separate entity?
While reading Bass’s piece I was also extremely frustrated at the fact that our society today thinks that women are unfit to lead and that they are inferior leaders to men. I think that the fact that women are better transforming leaders should be make more public knowledge because I think that our nation could benefit wildly from having a woman as our leader.
I agree with your observations as well as your emotions regarding this topic. It is frustrating that though women are more likely to possess these great leadership characteristics, there are still obstacles in our way. My takeaway for this would be that many people are harmed by inequality. There are political groups and companies that are not currently functioning to the best of their ability because they are overlooking many better-qualified women than their male counterparts who are currently holding these positions.