Hands Down: Women Are Better Managers

Female office worker looking up to office buildingCarol Smith, senior vice president and chief brand officer for the Elle Group, the media company is quoted in the New York Times saying "Hands down women are better [managers]. There’s no contest." She goes on to say

"In my experience, female bosses tend to be better managers, better advisers, mentors, rational thinkers. Men love to hear themselves talk. I’m so generalizing. I know I am. But in a couple of places I’ve worked, I would often say, ‘Call me 15 minutes after the meeting starts and then I’ll come,’ because I will have missed all the football. I will have missed all the ‘what I did on the golf course.’ I will miss the four jokes, and I can get into the meeting when it’s starting."

This declaration of managerial skill is very intriguing to me. However, upon reflection I realized I’ve yet to have a male manager. I’m not quite sure how that has happened but as the case may be, it’s true. Savvy Sugar has a poll that last I checked was leaning towards "Management skills have nothing to do with gender." But the comments were certainly less than neutral. According to the Boston Globe is may be more profitable to put women in charge. So what do you think?

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Posted on July 29, 2009 in Career, Womenin Career, Women

About Elysa Rice

Blonde Computer Nerd. Texas Girl (Dallas to be exact). Community Manager for Bizzy. Social Media Club of Dallas Leadership. Lover of all things pink. Mac & Cheese fanatic. Apple Fangirl. View all posts by Elysa Rice →

  • http://www.smallhandsbigideas.com Grace Boyle

    I didn’t catch this in NY Times so I’m glad you reposted it. VERY interesting. I like to hear edgy, broad statements like this (even if it is generalizing) and it came from a woman.

    I have had a mix of female and male bosses. My last boss was a female and I loved her. We worked in the event industry, so the female touch was very much appreciated (running weddings, private parties, etc.) We got along well and could chat candidly about our personal lives, she was giving and very sweet as well.

    However, currently I have a boss who is a male and I think he is the best boss I’ve ever had. He manages four women! When my car wouldn’t start, I called him to help me jump my car and help with the battery issue. He is attentive and respectful and is also a great friend. He doesn’t blur the line, because he is professional but we’re good friends with his family (wife and children) and I think because he has two daughters (and wife of course) he knows and understands women. He isn’t power hungry or rude and when we get ‘emotional’ as women sometimes do, he understands but keeps us in check. It’s a great balance and I wouldn’t swap a female boss out for him ever. Interesting comparison…I have to say it’s a case-by-case basis for each individual.

  • Sammi

    we women are always taken aback when we hear men say similar statements. i think we are becoming hypocrites.

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  • http://www.livelifelove06.blogspot.com Allie

    This doesn’t surprise me. Women are better multi-taskers, therefore it makes sense they would be better managers.

  • Jennifer

    I was with a company for 5 years that was ran mainly by women. Until the last year I was there, even my immediate supervisors were women. The best 6 months I had (until I had another new manager) was working for a manager that was male. It was very hard to work for managers and those in upper management that made decisions based on their feelings and emotions (and when something went really wrong, one executive even admitted she made that decision based on emotions).

  • Ruleta

    Good chat ChatRoulette. I’ll try to go)