Gender differences in the boardroom are not just limited to the wage packet, Talent Innovations’ new study of 360 degree feedback in relation to leadership has claimed.

The conclusions were drawn from the results of 360 degree appraisals conducted on almost 14,000 managers. The company - specialists in 360 degree feedback - found companies need a balance of the different skill sets offered by men and women in order to perform most effectively. Whilst men excelled in strategic vision, commercial focus and personal impact, women proved better suited to tasks such as managing activities, showing respect and empathy for others, and for taking personal responsibility.

Elva Ainsworth, Managing Director of Talent Innovations, explained why a balance of these skill sets is important;

“The ‘male leadership style’ is strategic and visionary, while the ‘female leadership style’ is more social… By creating a balance of both types of leadership, through Board-level diversity, organisations can bring about peak performance”

The leadership 360 degree feedback showed that many of the old stereotypes about men and women appear to be true. Whilst women scored more highly in areas involving multitasking, empathy and interpersonal skills, men excelled in making a strong first impression, delivering their views in a confident manner, as well as making their presence felt across an organisation. Ainsworth said, “These factors may be part of the reason… women are under-represented in senior management positions”

Men gave good 360 degree feedback to other men in leadership competencies such as innovation and the ability to grasp complexities. Women generally ranked others more highly than men and, in particular, scored other women well for clear communication, team leadership, performance management, commitment to development and being customer focused. However, women were also more likely to score themselves lower than their colleagues and considered themselves weak in the same areas in which men considered them to be weak. Ainsworth speculates these differences may be the result of inter-gender relationships;

“It’s as if women’s self-perception is an amplified reflection of men’s views. Women rate higher than men when it comes to admitting mistakes and owning the consequences of your decisions. It could be that men don’t like to admit their mistakes to women, whereas women are less concerned about admitting their mistakes to others”

Mark and Elva Ainsworth have put together a report based on the study, “What can 360 feedback data tell us about the differences between male and female leaders?”

It is available for free from http://www.talentinnovations.com/ . Further information on their 360 degree feedback services can be found at http://www.talentinnovations.com/s24/360-Feedback.html .