A UF professor found women who are more assertive are thought to be stronger leaders.
UF business professor Klodiana Lanaj’s study was published in this month’s issue of the Academy of Management Journal. She found that women who portrayed stereotypical male leadership qualities — decisive, confident and assertive — were seen as more leader-like.
Women are typically perceived as the more communal, nurturing and helpful gender, she said.
Over the course of a year, she surveyed 181 masters of business administration students for her study. The students were put in groups of five, each with at least one woman, she said. They were required to manage themselves as they worked on a group project, and they evaluated each other’s leadership qualities.
She said this research is important for women interested in leadership positions.
"If you act like a leader as a woman, you’re violating the gender norms and are therefore less liked," she said. "It’s important to show that it actually might be good to act leader-like on behalf of others."
UF Jewish and women’s studies senior Leah Robbins said she thinks some people may see female leaders as unnatural because they believe men usually possess leadership qualities. The 22-year-old said she hopes the study encourages women to be leaders.
"There’s no necessity to name men as being leader-like because they are considered qualities that are innate to men," she said.
