As a generalization men tend to make better leaders than women. Even in today's progressive workplace in corporate America with women reaching high levels of management (even CEO's of major corporations). In light of that, when polled even most women prefer to work under a man rather than a woman. (sorry, I don't have the time to dig up the study, iy was something I read a couple of years ago)
To say that men make better leaders does not place women in a position of inferiority, just a position of difference. To imply that men are somehow superior just because they are better at leading makes about as much sense to me as saying that my neighbor is superior to me just because he's a better mechanic than I am since I am a better painter than he is. God, in His wisdom, gave men the mental and emotional tools to be better leaders, but he also gave women the tools that they need to be better nurturers. Not superior or inferior, just different.
To say that men make better leaders does not place women in a position of inferiority, just a position of difference. To imply that men are somehow superior just because they are better at leading makes about as much sense to me as saying that my neighbor is superior to me just because he's a better mechanic than I am since I am a better painter than he is. God, in His wisdom, gave men the mental and emotional tools to be better leaders, but he also gave women the tools that they need to be better nurturers. Not superior or inferior, just different.
First of all thank you for your honest reply.
It's also nice that you put across that positions of difference does not imply positions of inferiority.
I agree wholeheartedly with that, and in fact I would say that a rich man and a poor man, and an educated human being and uneducated human being are all equal in the eyes of a higher power [be it law or God]
However let me just flesh this out a bit.
I do know the study that you were talking about, which is not a study but basically a survey/public opinion poll by Gallup, which seems to be a consulting company that provides data driven research.
Surveys do not reveal underlying differences as much as they reveal stereotypes and personal views, which in this case is women undermining each other as emotional. (not to mention how competitive it can be even amongst women)
“I just feel that men are more flexible and less emotional than women,” one secretary said, while another described women lawyers as “too emotional and demeaning.” The stereotype that women are too emotional goes back hundreds of years.
Also, women managers have also been put under pressure to perform better than their male counterparts to be considered just as good. (This is called the "proof standard", as I've heard some women describe it)
Though over the years, things have been looking up for women.
Even so, the situation is that there are fewer women in positions at the top. There are 14 percent of women as top positions in Fortune 500 companies, quite a number of them in technology.
Companies like Cisco, Yahoo, Google , Facebook have a sizable number in chief leadership and technology roles.
I don't consider this surprising, seeing that women have had to face more difficulties working, than a man would have to. As mentioned in another thread by me, many women do not have as long-lasting careers as men owing to the fact that many of them leave to take care of their families.
Pregnancy also sees women taking a backseat in high pressure jobs. These are some of the factors leading to a poor showing of women in top roles.
Leadership involves the following skills, that come to the top of my head right now, maybe there will be more -
* Ability to make good decisions [this would include critical and lateral thinking]
* Ability to motivate people
* Ability to respond well to stress
* Ability to multi task (both as manager and worker)
* Ability to access and apply usage of resources
If men were inherently better leaders, it would mean that women lack some of these basic skills including that of thinking.
While in no means would it make women inferior human beings, it still means that they lack these qualities. It still makes them inferior in terms of brain capacities and brain power.
However as shown by women in recent times in the companies mentioned, given opportunity, given the same playing ground, women have succeeded and moved on to top positions in the corporate field.
So I do not agree with you on this, that men have better emotional and mental tools to become better leaders, solely by the proof of the real world as well as for the fact that Biblically too, I do not see this anywhere.
The Bible does say women are the "weaker vessel" and that husbands should honour their wives due to this. [1 Peter 3:7]
However no where does it say a man has more wisdom or more intellect or capacity than a woman. Time and again, God has said He gives wisdom generously to all who ask [James 1:5] and people are called to seek wisdom.
Physically, yes women are weaker, I do agree, but there have been plenty of women who are quite strong.
Also pure brute strength and brawn has never been the sole determining factor to ever win a fight ( and in this day and age with technology, physical strength is also not the critical factor to being successful.)
So therefore I do not concur with you in the light of all this.
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