Gender and Leadership

Gender and Leadership

Bill Clinton is right . If this country wants to really go forward , a new gender of leadership is what is needed . Countless studies have already established that society has a restricted , even slanted concept of leadership . Even among the men and women , there is no unanimity in their views regarding leaders and leadership . This is the sad legacy of the patriarchal system of yore where only men possessed the privilege and the power to lead their families , in particular , and their communities in general . Men were supposed to lead

, to provide , and to protect their families and their communities from external forces

This value became so embedded amongst us that it took hundreds , even thousands of years for the womenfolk to break free from the bondage of domesticity and try their hands in the art of assertion in an effort to develop a mind of their own . Changes have been occurring both in the public and the private sector but the male of the species have defiantly barricaded itself . In spite of governmental patronage , women continue to suffer from discrimination . Those who manage to elbow themselves through , see their progress blocked by glass ceiling ' Even among the most progressive organizations , the number of women who have been successful in reaching the top rung of the corporate ladder could be counted with one 's fingers

This is the gist of Clinton 's words . Leadership should know no gender boundary . Leaders may be chosen according to their educational qualifications , their track records , or their potentials , but should never be elected based on their gender . To limit the choice to the male candidates would be underutilizing the resources of the country and inhibit progress . Men and women are born , but leaders are made . Birth is therefore not a valid nor an accurate basis for predicting good leadership . This is a wake up call for the United States , its leaders and its instrumentalities . A new gender of leadership that does not distinguish men from women is what America urgently needs...