WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP: CHANGING PERSPECTIVES AND REAL-WORLD SITUATIONS

Abstract

Women have progressively gravitated towards achieving enhanced gender parity in their households and professional settings. However, women remain inadequately symbolised in leadership positions and are still regarded as an exception compared to men, particularly in high-level leadership posts inside educational institutions. When comparing the leadership approaches of men and women, the focus should be on the contrasting challenges they encounter rather than their specific actions. Conventional gender-based norms can limit their expression of leadership behaviours. The perception of a mismatch between women and leadership positions creates barriers to leadership and leads to situations where women face conflicting expectations, receive more unfavourable evaluations of their accomplishments, and are held to different criteria than males. It is becoming evident that a perspective on leadership that does not differentiate between genders is insufficient. We must consider the impact of cultural beliefs and the process of socialisation in forming leadership approaches. There is substantial evidence to indicate that feminist approaches to leadership are deliberately distinct, emphasising greater collaboration and development than men. The situation becomes more intricate when we incorporate the aspects of ethnic and cultural variation. We must revise our perspectives on leadership to encourage the adoption of more comprehensive theories and varied approaches to successful leadership. Contemporary leadership concepts prioritise revolutionary and interactive leadership approaches. However, organisational cultures frequently reflect societal conventions about ethnicity and race. In the realm of higher education institutions, there is frequently a conflict between hierarchy and participatory approaches of leadership, which is seen in contrasting sets of procedures. Although women leaders may possess certain advantages in such situations, they also encounter challenges when transforming organisational structures that reflect societal prejudices against women in leadership positions.