ABSTRACT
Survey results from a relatively broad cross section of 274 women are presented. Perceptions women shared about leadership and their experiences with leaders are explored. The cross section of women surveyed hold a strong sense of what it takes to be an effective leader. Providing vision and the characteristic of integrity (both personal and interpersonal) stand out. Perceptions reflect variation by age range. Younger women report confidence as a characteristic of leadership at a higher rate than older women. Older women report lower perceptions of gender-motivated bias than do women in their 40s and 50s. Characteristics and behaviors that fall outside the ‘great man’ or ‘great woman’ prototype of leadership, but align with collaborative leadership and leading in place in complex realities, pervade the survey. Yet stories also indicate that the paradox of post-heroic leadership continues to prevail for a majority of women; they may provide needed leadership, but the systems in which they operate often fail to recognize these contributions. This is particularly true for women providing part-time effort. The private sector appears to have made more progress than the public sector on this front.
