How Can Young Women Develop A Leadership Style Essay

NS 211 Leadership and Management

Writing Assignment #1

Throughout the past century, women have accomplished great progress in the movement towards equality within our society. As the gap between male and female roles have closed, opportunities have increased for females within industrial, political, and military fields. However, these career fields are still largely seen as a “man’s world.” With predominantly male leaders, females who have risen to positions of authority often struggle to find footing and take charge as their male counterparts do. In the article “How Can Young Women Develop A Leadership Style?,” The Wall Street Journal pinpoints relevant challenges women face as leaders and provides constructive feedback for arising leaders

The article begins with a subject that many women are already familiar with- the “delicate balance” required to hold a leadership position. Experts have shown that being too aggressive can lead to negative consequences while being too “feminine” causes the individual to be seen as weak. This concept is known as the “double blind.” This leadership dilemma, according to the article, is due to the lack of female leaders to be observed; this causes male leadership styles to be observed and adopted by women. After identifying this obstacle, The Wall Street Journal discusses an essential strategy to overcome these struggles; finding a mentor. Since leadership is largely learned through experience, finding a successful female role model to learn from has been proven to be highly beneficial. Whether it is within the workplace, or through a community of leaders; women can freely receive feedback of their efforts without being portrayed as weak. With this opportunity, upcoming leaders can become more comfortable in the workplace and find their balance of an assertive, yet feminine, leadership

With the United States military being a largely male dominated field, my ability to lead and prove myself as a female officer is a certain obstacle within the coming years. There will be judgement; both up and down my future chain of command. However, this future dilemma can be counteracted. The information found within this article allows for women to start finding their leadership style now, not when it is too late. By understanding these fundamental challenges of the future, experiences and application of lessons can be taken on in the present to further prepare for the future. The “double blind” that women are subject to was a topic that I found extremely interesting. In both articles, from The Wall Street Journal and The Huffington Post, the authors hit on this delicate balance that is required to be a successful female leader. When considering this idea in the present, I can completely understand this concept through the analysis of female leaders in our unit. Those who are more gentle, or feminine, in their approach with leadership dilemmas are viewed as “weak”; on the other hand, those who tackle the problem aggressively are seen as “power hungry.” I think that in addition to this article identifying these issues to help women, it also allows for male counterparts to become more understanding of this situation. By