Managing the Future: a gender issue or a construction of complementarity?

Much has been said about new models of leadership in actions that inspire compan
ies, teams and people and promoting profitable businesses, professionals and sat
isfied customers happy. Some decades ago, this speech was not so different as to
today. However, most efforts were focused on achieving results and, therefore,
the role of leader was not always viewed as a strategic and decisive factor, but
as another management tool in organizations. Today, we live a unique moment in
the corporate setting, where the above analysis is, at every moment, generating
ideas, revaluations and a consequent interest in professionals of Personnel Mana
gement and related areas. The big question concerns the existence of management
models of the future. Within this thought, some questions are raised to try to m
ove corporately: does the manager of the future is a matter of male or female or
a construction of the complementarity of both? Prior to contribute to this issu
e, it presents some studies conducted on Leadership. Last century, I highlight o
ne of the first readings on the subject, the so-called Theory of Characteristics
of Great Men, which sought to recognize the hallmarks of the "great men" or the
conduct of the leaders of their masses, such as Napoleon, Julius Caesar and Ale
xander the Great. Most of these studies sought to build a general theory of the
characteristics of leadership, however, its function was the foundation for rema
rkable that the "opinion makers" (aka gurus) of management to build some lists o
f features and / or skills that leaders should possess or develop. It is clear,
however, that the approach of the characteristics of people is becoming less acc
epted by scholars on the subject. Although it is understood, too, that companies
are taking in this change, and this scenario is much more ordered in the select
ion process of professionals than in training them. Today, it is known that the
effectiveness of leaders is not substantially linked to personal traits, but als
o, and even the approach to conduct them. At that moment, the emphasis on traini
ng is much greater, because behaviors can be learned and trained people are able
to obtain better results within what is expected by each organization. From thi
s trend, we developed a "classification" of Leadership Style and their respectiv
e functions. Relate, here are two trends that underpin this statement: the Class
ical School of Administration and Human Relations Movement. The first, underlay
the role of leader for the interest and the work and tasks, where employees were
seen only as instruments for the achievement of organizational objectives, and
the presence of the authoritarian manager was an intrinsic component to this rea
lity. As for the Human Relations movement, started here the interest for people,
their individuality and personal and professional needs. The effectiveness of t
he manager democratic, participatory, legitimized this trend, pointing to a new
management profile. We are in a time where, more than ever, human behavior becom
es the strategic focus of business within the company. The alignment of human sk
ills to corporate strategies enhances the need to care and invest increasingly i
n the human side of leadership. And in that sense, it put the role of profession
al women in this scenario. In principle, space women was highly limited, because
many of the professions were said
"Masculine" and, in most cases, the limited vacancies in offices to carry out du
ties as telephone operators or secretaries, and while his career just evolved. T
oday, the reality is editing a new history within organizations. Increasingly, w
e see the growing presence of women in large companies and in positions previous
ly occupied by men. Do not want to empower women here the flag, the rights and s
hared the successes achieved, but rather focus on this new professional environm
ent where men and women have roles of managers, and how that working relationshi
p develops. When we talk about professional relationship, we are indirectly refe
rring to styles, shapes, cultures, feelings and human behavior. Men and women ar
e different, think different, act different, different dreams, but all this anta
gonism needs and must find synergy to the effectiveness of these leaders reflect
ed in the achievement of goals and organizational strategies.€The manager of th
e future is far from a model of gender, sex or a particular behavior. As profess
ionals, our greatest difficulty is to know ourselves as men and women with diffe
rent profiles and conjugating this mixture of perspectives within the corporate
management. Already as a business, it's up to them, for example, pay more attent
ion to these important differences, knowing aproveitálas to a better understand
ing of the employees of an organization. These yes, have sex, have needs and beh
aviors. And this approach is the key to the complementarity of gender legitimize
s the construction of a perfect management and future.
Karine is Bighelini Public Relations, Speaker, Consultant in Organizational Comm
unication and Sharing Partner-Director of Associated Consultants.