www.medaille.edu/alp/

A Medaille College/Accelerated Learning Program publication dedicated to showcasing valued Metro Buffalo and Rochester leadership practices that translate into self-sustaining, profitable business.

Do Men and Women Lead Differently?

30 Wilson RoadWilliamsville, NY 14221716.631.1061

From theFrom the

July 2010

By Jerry IngletAssistant Directorof AdmissionsCorporate & BusinessCommunity Liaison

From theFrom the

Research indicates that the average human uses 10% of their brain – let us help you occupy the other 90% with some useful knowledge!!!

Apply today at: www.medaille.edu/alp

Medaille College’s Accelerated Learning Programs (ALP) are offered at both our Rochester Campus (1880 South Winton Road, Rochester, NY 14618) and Amherst Campus (30 Wilson Road, Williamsville, NY 14221). These programs are designed to fit into the fast-paced life of the working adult. Features of the full-time cohort based programs:

• Attend class just one evening per week from 6:00 to 10:00 • Meet with your study group one time per week to complete “hands-on” business projects • Take one course at a time • Small class size • Practitioner faculty drawn from local businesses

• Incorporates the workplace into the classroom • Complete your degree in approximately two years or less • Full-time financial aid / student loan eligibility

It really was inevitable. With two younger sisters committed to infiltrating my early youth without my invite, I was bound for punishment and instruction under the leadership of my parents. Even as a nine year old I was able to recognize the leadership nuances between my Mom and Dad. Mom usually spoke with me in a more compassionate tone and her punishment was less punitive. ”Pops” was direct, loud and staunch with no wiggle room. I’m not certain whose leadership offerings were more effective. My sisters would argue that their efficacy was marginal since I never fully embraced the glory of two younger sisters during my pre-teens. Enough about my pre-teens and the leadership differences exhib-ited by my parents. Gender and leadership variances are topics that have snatched the attention of thinkers charged with understanding the dynamics of the business world. Contemporary writers like Alice Eagley, Linda Carli, Bernard Bass and Judy Rosener have attempted to explain and measure ways that men and women lead. Some have found fundamental differences, while others conclude that the behaviors of men and women are only minimally contrasted in organizations that are effective. So is it true – do women and men lead differ-ently? I sat down with Mary Ellen Burris, Senior Vice President of Consumer Affairs for Wegmans in an attempt to get closer to the subject matter. Over 39,000 employees work for Wegmans. Aside from Colleen Wegman, Mary Ellen Burris is the highest ranking female

employee at the privately held food market behemoth. Just as no one can dispute the success and brand that Wegmans has estab-lished, no one can dispute that Burris has had a significant hand in that success. Not only have her efforts helped propel Wegmans as one of the honored and consistently acknowledged firms in Fortune magazine’s Great Places To Work rating, Burris’ ability to trace the growth of the firm with relation to leadership styles proves insightful. In the beginning, Burris recalls, founder Bob Wegman utilized a style of leadership that reflected his Marine Corp background. This strong autocratic and military style slowly changed to include less linear decision-making processes that reflected the desires of the customers. If there ever was a differ-ence in leadership styles between men and women at Wegmans, it was personified in these early beginnings where the management reflected traditional male and military style practices. Continued on page 3

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Continued from Front Cover

The eventual evolution in leadership style at Wegmans, though, appears to be more of a customer-driven endeavor than a gender oriented initiative. As the only female on a 12-person manage-ment group designed to guide the company in the early 1970’s, Burris convinced the members of the gathering that the custom-ers should be the force that drives change and governs leader-ship tactics and actions. Leadership, in this case, was an imme-diate derivative and response to the customers’ needs. In doing so, the male dominated panel embraced better listening skills, a behavior commonly connected with the female gender. Burris does acknowledge that at a fundamental level, women leaders tend to communicate more effectively and are better listeners. A review of the literature on gender differences generally supports this belief. But, she also asserts that the listening skills and the corresponding response of action is not gender oriented but rather a function of doing the right thing and the by-product of an effective work culture. Her supposition implies that when an organization embraces a positive work culture while effectively servicing its clients, differences in leadership styles between men and women will be less pronounced. It is more likely to find larger gaps in leadership styles between men and women when the organization is not effective in understanding its customer’s needs. So does a highly defined, strictly adhered to work culture usurp gender differences where leadership is considered? Am I answering a question with a question? I have documented the Wegmans’ work culture mantra in past issues of this publication but it is worth revisiting. These overriding concepts maintain that they care about and listen to their people, believe that high standards are a way of life while they make a difference in every community they serve. Addi-tionally, they respect their people and empower them to make decisions that improve their work. This all seems simple, but Burris maintains that Wegmans never deviates from these concepts. These principles are embedded in all employees, men and women alike. The defined culture and parallel buy-in by Wegmans’ employees has produced a diverse management team. Burris admits that each store does take on a slight personality of its own but this is not a measure of gender differences or corresponding leadership styles of their managers. Rather, the variance is due simply to the makeup and needs of the community that patronizes each store.

Simply put, Burris would argue that an organization that functions as a high performing institution would demonstrate no measurable and significant differences in leadership patterns between the genders because the clients and culture create a path and style that is immune to the possibility. Whoomp, there it is. It seems that each time I attempt to reveal a new insight on leadership, I approach the task with my best impersonation of Shaggy from Scooby Doo fame. I’m waiting for a revelation that comes from nowhere but this never seems to surface. As Mary Ellen Burris believes, gender-neutral leadership is rooted in the culture of a high functioning organization and although it is not easy to achieve, it can be identified.

The team of Medaille Alums that assisted Melissa included Gary Constantino, Deena Palmer-Richardson and David Schnettler. The efforts of the volunteer work included discussions on securing a micro-loan, enhancements to the LDP website and the planning necessary to generate a return on the investment within three years. In addition to the team assisting Melissa with the LDP business plan, they also were able to identify additional products and marketing opportunities that will allow Melissa to utilize her artistic training and passion to promote her business, generate additional revenue and enter other markets that had not previously been identified.

Over 250 participants attended the Chik-fil-A Be the One Leadercast on May 7, 2010. This all-day leadership training event brought an international telecast featuring 10 of the world’s best leaders to Medaille’s three campuses in Buffalo, Amherst and Rochester.

Inspiration on leadership style and tactics came from such noted speakers as Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, Tony Dungy, former coach of the Indianapolis Colts, and Ed Bastian, president of Delta Air Lines.

Do Men and Women Lead Differently?

(Photo Courtesy of the Buffalo News)

Medaille continued its volunteer relationship with the New York State Entrepreneurial Assistance Program and offered entrepre-neur Melissa Parrish assistance in transitioning her company, Lovely Day Photo, from a home based business into a small business with a storefront and street presence. Melissa Parrish, owner of Lovely Day Photo (LDP), is an artistic and passionate photographer who has been in the photography business for ten years and now locates her company in the Granite Works building located on Main Street in Downtown Buffalo.

Pictured above: David Schnettler, Gary Constantino and Melissa Parrish

Enhance Your Leadership Capacity with Medaille College’s Programs for Working Adults:

• Associate of Science in Business

• Bachelor of Business Administration

• Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership

• Fast Forward Bachelors in Business Administration (Day Program)

• Computer Crimes Investigation (Certificate)

• Certified Financial Planner (Certificate)

• Bachelor of Business Administration in Information Systems (Online)

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