Leadership in Her Own Image: Valuing Women’s Different Lives

Abstract:     
These remarks were presented at the AALS 2009 Women in Legal Education Panel: The Cleopatra Syndrome: Golda, Indira, Bella, Shirley, Margaret, Geraldine and Hillary - Educating Women for Leadership Roles in the 21st Century.

In these comments, I argue that women lag in leadership roles because the model of leadership to which society in general and women in particular subscribe is based on following the script of previous leaders, who are almost always men. In order to properly value women's lives, and to ensure vibrant female leadership, a model of leadership that takes into account and gives credence to women's different lives must be established. Women's lives include much more time caring for young children and balancing work with family. A new model for leadership must give proper accord to the essential and vital role of caregiving.

A model of leadership that values women's lives should not fight work/family balance but accept it. Family values advocates should value people who spend time with their families - male or female. Balance in work/family, reflects a balanced perspective and those traits that make great caregivers may also make great leaders. Men and women should not be embarrassed of their caregiving or feel that it is irrelevant but champion their committment to family in their leadership endeavors. Educators must also bring these lessons into the classrooms to ensure that women and their male peers are more comfortable with and give proper credence to caregiving activities.

I also apply this argument in the context of the 2008 presidential election and argue that Sarah Palin made great strides in being comfortable with her different life as a woman and caregiver and that Hillary Clinton could have been more appealing if she had been more comfortable with her different life. Ultimately, women's leadership suffers because women are too focused on being men and they should use their strengths in creating their own mold of leadership that values the strengths and important contributions stemming from women's different experiences.

Keywords: Gender, Sexuality, Women, Leadership, Caregiving, Children

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