Adopting Balanced Development Leaders won’t magically become more balanced because we tell them they need to be. They need the right development and training. After all, men have been supported and rewarded for If leaders adapt their behavior to meet the needs of their audience, they will be more balanced and effective. VOLUME 39 | ISSUE 3 | SUMMER 2016 35 developing both aspects of their leadership behaviors for decades. We need to do the same for women. Start by reviewing how you treat leaders in your organization. Are you doing everything you can to support your female leaders, especially when they successfully deliver results in a way that could be considered masculine? Are you rewarding both men and women leaders who are balanced in their ability to express both masculine and feminine behaviors? Next, review your leadership development program. Do you incorporate a balanced approach to gender expression? Sit down with successful women leaders in your organization and talk about the traits that make them effective. Use their insights to determine the best ways to help other women leaders become more balanced. The conversation about gender in leadership is complex. It goes beyond the inequalities and biases we know exist. To impact real change in the workplace and develop more effective leaders, we need to focus the conversation on what we can do. We can find ways to better support and develop women leaders. We can train all leaders to take a more balanced approach. We can focus on our own skills and qualities to become the best leaders and professionals we can possibly be. It’s time to move the conversation and take action. Let’s stop talking about the problems with gender and leadership and start focusing on realistic solutions. Are your leaders more masculine or feminine? How could they be more balanced?