Are women born leaders? The latest research data leave men with no chances

When you hear the words "natural leader," what do you think of? For many, the image of a stern man immediately comes to mind. However, the latest research report in this area refutes this assumption and shows that women are best suited for leadership positions based on actual data.

SSPDaily writes: "This year alone, in the 68-year history of the Fortune 500, female executives accounted for more than 10% of all CEOs. Overall, according to the Census Bureau, women hold just under 32% of executive positions in the United States."

The male CEO is a thing of the past

And yet, according to Sarah McLellan, Senior Director of Professional Services Europe at SHL, a talent management solutions company, it is the traits often associated with women - caring, compassion, and adaptability - that make them natural leaders in the modern workplace.

In its report, "A New Era in People Management," SHL surveyed nearly 10,000 executives from various industries around the world to compile a list of traits that leaders should embody. The respondents noted the application of experience, writing and compiling reports, and formulating strategies as the main qualities.

However, according to the SHL research team, these are simply characteristics of a great employee or worker, not a leader. This indicates an alarming gap in how companies select and promote talent.

"Organizations don't always understand what is required of leaders in today's complex and uncertain environment," says McLellan.

"What is needed to navigate the unknown is emotional intelligence, empathy, understanding connections, facilitating conversations-someone who can guide and coach people rather than tell, direct and monitor tasks and responsibilities."

What are women stronger at?

That's where women are superior to their male counterparts, McLellan emphasizes. But to see this difference, SHL had to create a profile of the ideal leader. Using data from assessments of individual employees who thrive in the workplace, SHL identified the behaviors and skills that lead to leadership success, focusing on traits such as caring, creating emotional connections, and democratic leadership.

The gender analysis found that men slightly outperformed women in traits such as appreciation, openness, and trust, while women significantly outperformed men when it came to understanding behavior.

"If you look objectively at the people you're hiring and promoting to leadership positions, you'll find that women quite often outperform men in a number of different behaviors or areas of competence," McLellan says.

Therefore, she warns managers against focusing solely on the best performers when promoting employees. Creating and managing are not the same thing.