In this male-dominated society that is Mauritius, from the days of the ?colon? in the sugar fields to today?s sophisticated emphasis on the knowledge worker, traditional management attitudes have always favoured the hiring of men over women for leadership positions. Somehow, officially or by means of whispers behind closed doors, the consensus has always been amongst us males, that women are simply too soft for the power jobs. ?Put her in this managerial job and the next thing she?ll be reduced to tears as these guys have her for breakfast,? is the kind of male talk that always accompanies formal letters of rejection.

Are women leaders as soft as we, males, would like to believe? I often wonder. Oh, there?s definitely a difference ? that we do not doubt. Watch two opposing males or two camps of males in one boardroom, and very soon you?ll see the macho thing taking over. Like cocks eyeing one another for a good fight, the males will circle one another, studying the enemy, ducking and diving, issuing the verbal punches and waiting for the right moment to issue the mortal blow. Even if we have no intention of killing the enemy, as males we derive intense satisfaction in saying to ourselves or anyone else who cares to listen, ?I?ve taught this b? one lesson he won?t forget soon.? Rivalry, competition, use of power, throwing our weight around, teaching others to respect us, authority ? these are all the connotations that from day one of our existence as males, we have been taught to believe in, value and uphold. We need to dominate. Being male means to dominate. It is as simple as that.

But women leaders? Whenever you ask this question to the macho guys, there follows invariably an embarrassed silence or a series of opinions that range from the puerile to the ludicrous. Clearly, we males are lost here.

Not only there are no role models that spring immediately to mind on this island but when they do, you can dismiss them all too easily with banalities such as ?It?s not the same?, ?She is the exception that confirms the rule?, ?She got there by sleeping her way to the top?, ?It?s a woman environment ? that is why she succeeds there? and so on. Probe deeper and find out what males have against those few female leaders that occupy either public or private sector positions, and invariably you?ll end up with power as an issue.

?They cannot take decisions,? the males will complain. ?They can?t be as tough as we are?, ?They are not as driven and determined as we are?, ?They are too soft? ? and so on.

I ask again: Are women that soft? Or are they more like the stream?s waters, also soft and yielding, but nonetheless strong enough to carve mountains and deep valleys?

Three of my immediate subordinates at the business school are female leaders and yes, I?d be wasting my time if I were to look in them the male stuff I am so used to with my male reports ? the sparring, throwing of verbal punches, winning the fight, and so on. Instead, they mostly back off when I get on my high horse and start thundering from above. Instinctively, they avoid the high noon confrontation, preferring to remain quiet, yielding, backing down.

So, am I to conclude, I the macho male have won ? right? Not a chance. Often what happens is that they regroup their forces, consult mysteriously with one another and come back to the issue in a different, insidiously, subtle manner and before you know where you are, they?ve achieved what they set out to do.

And when you wonder how on earth they?ve managed to win this fight, you?ll discover that it?s because nine times out of ten, female leaders value making others feel like participating. Their strength does not lie in the throwing of that decisive punch we males treasure so much ? but in making others feel involved and committed to the decision or proposed course of action. Through this process, they can bring about enormous change in creating great organisations.

I don?t know about you but I believe that the time has arrived for us males to study our successful female leaders more closely and perhaps, in the process, discover one thing or two about leadership.

Prof Eric Charoux Feedback: [email protected]