within and outside the organization" (Kouzes & Posner, p. 163). It is a universal fact that women are exemplary listeners. It is the key in understanding the people you work with. To understand what is important to them is crucial to a successful business relationship. To know what an employee needs to feel fulfilled and to work to capacity, superior listening and communication skill are necessary. Celebrating accomplishments are also a fundamental practice in leadership. As mentioned previously, women are more likely to celebrate accomplishments and provide immediate praise to successful subordinates, unlike their male counterparts. Women are drawn to creating social support networks. Once again, women's socialization comes to the forefront. Females are taught by example that to be happy and fulfilled you need your own little "support network" made up of friends and family. When women have problems or need advice they immediately call upon their network for assistance. Unlike men, who by nature, tend to withdraw and put the decision making process solely on their own shoulders. Conclusion Although women do possess many of the characteristics of effective leaders, they are not prone to lead by example (Comer, et.al., 1997). Due to the clash in the scheduling of work and their personal lives, women are torn between being a driven leader and being an effective leader in the home. But, again, gender is not always the determining factor in leadership capabilities. There are exceptions to each of the rules outlined within this paper. It is important to take note that there are male leaders that possess each of these qualities and are superior leaders. Alternatively, there are men and women who possess little or few of these characteristics and have still risen to the top of their ranks in terms of leadership style and capability. ...
