Leadership and the Sexes

The Authors Michael Gurian is a thought-leader, corporate consultant, family therapist, and the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-five books, including Leading Partners, The Wonder of Girls, Boys and Girls Learn Differently!, The Wonder of Boys, and The Minds of Boys. The co-founder of the Gurian Institute, he has spearheaded a national effort to provide communities and corporations with training in brain-based gender issues. Barbara Annis is a thought-leader, corporate consultant on gender intelligence and inclusive leadership, CEO of Barbara Annis & Associates, and author of Same Words, Different Language. She has more than twenty years' experience as a specialist in gender issues in the workplace. Annis and her associates have delivered large-scale corporate projects on leadership, gender intelligence, and diversity. She also serves on the Harvard KSG Women's Leadership Board.

Using a hefty helping of neurobiology, corporate moguls Gurian and Annis illustrate how brain chemistry influences gender and how gender in turn powerfully affects every aspect of workplace behavior. The authors contend that corporations attentive to gender and behavior can enhance their performance, competitive edge and bottom line. The authors discuss how men and women wield leadership, bond, regard and execute authority and approach management and conflict resolution skills—applying their findings on male/female brain differences to account for the variations in behavior. Though they tackle the big questions—for instance, do women have to become men to get ahead?—they are at their best when at their most practical, using step-by-step instructions, exercises and simply worded "GenderTools" to teach men and women to understand each other in meetings and on the golf course. Though a front-loaded density of neuroscience may deter the casual browser, readers with a genuine interest and a desire to improve workplace gender relations will do well with this pragmatic and well-intentioned guide. (Aug.) (PublishersWeekly.com, June 23, 2008)

• Acknowledgments xiiiIntroduction: How Gender Intelligence Leads to Balanced, Authentic Leadership xviiPart One The Theory: Gender Intelligence—The Natural Differences Between Men and Women 11 Understanding the Science of Gender 3Getting to Know the Gender/Brain Spectrum 7Equal but Different Intelligence 8Burning Question: Are There Exceptions to the Gender Rules? 15Empowering Yourself and Your Corporation by Joining the Scientific Process 18The Lighthouse 22Summary 242 Understanding How the Male and Female Brain Work Differently 25Three Primary Areas of Brain Difference 26Burning Question: Do Women Have to Become Men to Get Ahead? 50Moving Forward 52Summary 553 Understanding How Men and Women Lead Differently 56Manifestations of Brain Differences in Leadership 57A Core Leadership Difference: Approaches to Being in Charge 63Balanced Leadership 68Leading Differently: The Success Story of Pam Gomez Gil 68Transforming Your Team 71A Pause for Breath 72Moving to Part Two 76Summary 77Part Two The Tools: Putting Gender Intelligence to Work Immediately 794 GenderTool 1: Improving Your Negotiation Skills with Both Genders 81About Our Gender Tools 81The Science of Gender and Negotiation 82What Executives Have Said About Gender and Negotiation 84Applying Balanced Leadership to Negotiations 875 GenderTool 2: Running a Gender-Balanced Meeting 91Improving Your Meetings: Using Ten Essential Gender-Balanced Management Skills 956 GenderTool 3: Improving Your Communication Skills with Women and Men 100Focusing on Verbal Communication 101Burning Question: How Much Do You Have to Change Your Communication Style? 106Focusing on Nonverbal Communication 107Communication Differences in Sales 1097 GenderTool 4: Improving Your Conflict Resolution Skills with Men and Women 113Focusing on Conflict 113Part Three The Applications: Ensuring Gender-Balanced Leadership in the Long Term 1238 Helping Women: Retaining, Motivating, and Working with Female Talent 125Success Stories: How Gender-Balanced Leadership Improves the Bottom Line 127What Women Want? No, What Women Need! 132Confronting Obstacles to Meeting Women’s Needs 136The Quiet Evolution 149Summary 1529 Helping Men: Recognizing Men’s Leadership Strengths and Solving Issues Men Face 153Clarifying and Maximizing Men’s Strengths 155Understanding Issues Men Face in Leadership 167Men’s Issues (What Men Need) 169Men Need Work/Life Balance 171For Women: Tips for Supervising Men 174Bringing It All Together: A Final GenderTool 176Summary 17710 GenderTool 5: Practicing Gender-Intelligent Mentoring and Coaching in Your Corporation 179The Importance of Mentoring and Coaching in Gender Science 181GenderTool 5: Focusing on Mentoring and Coaching 183For Mentors: A Checklist 186Mentoring Women 187For Men: Tips for Supervising Women 189Mentoring Men 191Make Mentoring a Part of Your Corporation’s Infrastructure 194Mentoring for the New Millennium 196Epilogue: The Future of Gender 199Notes and Resources 201Appendix: Gender/Brain Spectrum Surveys for Men and Women 215The Authors 223Index 227