Feminine leadership as a response to new challenges in higher education : myth or reality?

This study explored the question of whether the literature on women\u27s leadership is relevant to the ways in which a select group of female community college presidents lead their institutions. Three bodies of literature are reviewed. First, the literature on the development and psychology of women is reviewed. Second, the literature on leadership behavior, in general, is reviewed. And third, the arguments for and against Feminine Leadership as a new and viable leadership model are reviewed. It is clear that the Feminine Leadership literature is derivative: It takes many concepts directly from the literature on women\u27s development, and reflects much of what the general leadership literature says about important leadership traits and behaviors. While not entirely original, it does provide particular areas of emphasis. Women, it contends, are relationship-oriented: They collaborate, they manage in participatory ways, and they provide a caring, nurturing environment in the workplace. These characteristics, we are told, are particularly valuable during times of crisis and change. In-depth interviews were conducted with four female Massachusetts community college presidents. The presidents were asked to talk about their career progressions, how they entered and effected change within their colleges, and the impact of the recent and dramatic cuts in state funding. The interviews were tape recorded and were analyzed from repeated listening to the tapes and written transcriptions. The results of the interviews were that the women were far more different as leaders than they were similar. Feminine Leadership was not found to be a defining concept for them, in or out of fiscal crisis, although their use of language often did reflect some of the major Feminine Leadership themes. This study concluded that the Feminine Leadership lens is too narrow to provide an understanding of the leadership of these four women. While relevant to particular individuals at particular times, it provides no common thread for understanding them as a group. Each leader brings to her role a unique blend of behaviors and characteristics which define her leadership in far more powerful ways than does the concept of Feminine Leadership