How women leaders can respond to concerns about pandemic leadership: Opinion

Crisis leadership differs greatly from leadership during times of stability, but community expectations of leaders’ behaviours differ across gender lines, writes Rachel Schreiber. Schreiber argues that crises require leaders to act decisively rather than use collaborative leadership styles, but this fast-paced decision-making is not well received when enacted by women, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming people. The author says that navigating crisis decisions is a balancing act, and one where women may receive negative reactions for exhibiting the same characteristics of assertiveness, confidence, and directness that men are praised for. As institutions enter the next semester, Schreiber recommends that women leaders focus on articulating to their communities that less collaborative governance styles were used due to the extenuating circumstances brought about by the pandemic, and advises others in the campus community to reflect on how gender bias influences their expectations of leaders. Inside Higher Ed (Acct. Req.) Note: Archived stories may contain dead links or be missing source links.