Leadership and Lawyering Lessons from the 2008 Elections

Abstract

This article discusses the phenomenon of female leadership and the dual roles associated with female leaders in the United States by examining statistics concerning women in leadership roles and coverage of the 2008 Presidential election. It goes on to explore situations when women leaders may actually avoid experiencing backlash for exhibiting assertive or typically “masculine’ characteristics such as when resources are high and perceived threats are low, when the women are deemed to hold positions of high status, when women fulfill expectations associated with their position, and when women are assertive on behalf of others. Finally, the article suggests steps educational institutions can adopt to promote women in leadership positions.

Keywords: women, leaders, election, leadership, female, gender, negotiation

JEL Classification: H1, H5, H8, K00, K4, K49