Leadership and the Sexes

About the Authors

Michael Gurian is a New York Times best-selling author known for his extensive work in gender science. He has written 21 books, including "The Wonder of Girls," "Boys and Girls Learn Differently!" and "The Wonder of Boys." His works have sold over 900,000 copies in the United States alone. Gurian is the co-founder of the Gurian Institute, which provides resources and training to improve the lives of boys and girls through research in brain-based gender differences.

Barbara Annis is a thought leader and expert on workplace gender issues. As the CEO of Barbara Annis & Associates, she has over 20 years of experience in consulting with top companies worldwide. Annis has expanded her team to 27 associates spread across New York, Tokyo, Sydney, and London, advocating for gender intelligence in the corporate world.

Main Idea

"Leadership and the Sexes" explores how understanding and leveraging gender differences can lead to substantial competitive advantages for businesses. Gurian and Annis combine brain science research with real-life business examples to illustrate how men and women lead differently and how these differences can be harnessed for organizational success. The book introduces practical tools, termed GenderTools, to help businesses achieve gender-balanced leadership and improve overall effectiveness.

Table of Contents

1. The Summary in Brief
2. Understanding the Science of Gender
3. How Men and Women Lead Differently
4. Improving Your Negotiation Skills with Both Genders
5. Running a Gender-Balanced Meeting
6. Improving Your Communication Skills with Women and Men
7. Improving Your Conflict Resolution Skills with Men and Women
8. Ensuring Gender-Balanced Leadership in the Long Term
9. Practicing Gender-Intelligent Mentoring and Coaching in Your Corporation

The Summary in Brief

The authors highlight that individuals bring their gender-specific styles, modes of operating, and leadership skills into the workplace. By utilizing these gender differences, companies can discover significant competitive advantages. The book emphasizes the importance of gender intelligence and provides field-tested tools for readers to increase both personal comfort and competitive edge in a business environment.

Understanding the Science of Gender

Beginning in the 1970s, researchers began using advanced medical technologies like PET scans, fMRI, and SPECT imaging to study gender differences in the brain. These studies reveal that while men and women produce equivalent intellectual performance, they do so using different brain regions and processes.

Key Findings:

• Women take in more sensory information and store more material in the brain for later use.
• Women use more words in communication, reading, and writing than men.
• Men are more likely to see the physical motion of objects, whereas women see color and fine detail better.
• Women's brains connect emotional activity with thoughts and words more quickly than men's brains, affecting how they process emotions.
• Men have more gray matter related to cognitive functioning, while women have more white matter, which connects different brain centers.

Understanding these differences is crucial for creating balanced leadership. Gurian and Annis argue that recognizing and nurturing authentic gender qualities in oneself and others can lead to more effective leadership and improved corporate success.

How Men and Women Lead Differently

The book outlines distinct leadership styles commonly associated with each gender. While there are exceptions, these general tendencies can help in understanding and optimizing leadership dynamics.

Male Leaders Tend to:

• Bond through short bursts of connection and goal achievement.
• Lead through order assessment, pattern thinking, and ritualized action.
• Downplay emotions to focus on performance.
• Promote risk-taking and independence aligned with corporate goals.

Female Leaders Tend to: