On International Women’s Day it feels appropriate to talk about female leadership in universities. With still only seven women CEOs in the FTSE 100 and one-fifth of the world’s top universities led by women, there is still a way to go for parity. As we move into the twelfth year of our entrepreneurial leadership programme, we will once again work with higher education leaders who will review their leadership style and consider their future career trajectories.
We believe that anyone can be an entrepreneurial leader – but in a way that suits their personality and style. Sometimes we adopt styles, ones that we have seen others use to good effect or ones that feel most comfortable with our own individual ways. Research has shown that female leaders tend to adopt transformational leadership over a more transactional style (Eagly et al, 2003). So what does that mean?
Transformational leadership is when a leader works with their team to guide change through influence and inspiration. It is closely aligned with entrepreneurial leadership, as both styles challenge the status quo and role model creative and innovative behaviours.
