Chapter 1 What Do we by Lewenhip differences may hinder the opportunities for leadership de women in the future. For turnung that is in trouble or starting a new business are two of the most exciting opportuni ties a developing leader has to test her leadership abilities lf weapply the women are different hypothesis, the type of leadership skills needed for successful completion of either of these assignments may leave women off the list of candidates if we accept the hypothesis that women and men are more alike as leaders than they are different, women will be found in equal numbers on the candidate list Research on women from medium-sized, nontraditional orga nizations has shown that successful leaders don't all come from the same mold. Such women tended to be successful by drawing on their shared experience as omen, rather than by adhering to the rules of conduct by which men in larger and more traditional organizations have suc- cessful survey research by Judith Rosener identified several differences in how men and women described their leadership experiences. Men tended to descnbe viewin leadership as an exchange with subordinates for serices rendered They influenced others primarily through their organizational position and au- thority. The women, on the other hand, tended to describe themselves un transformational terms, They helped sub develop commitment to broader goals than their own self-interest, and they described the in fluence more in terms of personal characteristics like charisma and inter- personal skill than mere organizational position According to Rosener such women leaders encouraged participation and shared power and information, but went far beyond what is com monly thought of as participative management She called it interactive leadership. Their leadership self-descriptions reflected an approach based on enhancing others' selfworth and believing that the best peri ormance results when people are excited about their work and feel good about themselves, How did this interactive leadership style develop? Rosener concluded it was due to these women's socialization experiences and career paths. As we have indicated, the social role expected of women has emphasized that they be cooperative, supportive, understanding, gentle, and service- oriented As they entered the business world, they still found themselves in roles emphasizing these same behaviors. They found themselves in staff, rather than line, positions, and in roles lacking formal authority over others so that they had to accomplish their work without reliance on for mal power. What they had other words, was employ ther so- cially acceptable behavioral repertoire to survive organizationally What came easily to women turned out tobe a survival tactic Although their doing what and leaders often within the constraints of the job, they also develop their skills and styles over time. The women's use of interactive leadership has its roots in