Female leadership communication styles from the perspective of employees

The effectiveness of a leader is assessed by his or her ability to communicate a vision, goals, strategy and set of attitudes that will gain support and traction. It demands women leaders to use powerful communication styles to assertively motivate, inspire and influence. Many research claim that even when women have the necessary skills and abilities to effectively lead an organisation, they may still have difficulty convincing others of their leadership potential. It is more difficult for women to become leaders and attain success in leadership roles. These women's voices deserve attention due to the concerns on the growing percentage of women entering workforce. Thus, this study aims to understand the leadership communication styles practised by female leaders from the employees' perspective. Interviews with 10 employees from various fields helped illustrate the communication styles, characteristics, and perceptions of female leadership. Findings reveal that female leaders demonstrate a mix of transformational, transactional, and participative leadership style in leading their organisation. Female leaders also tend to display both masculine and feminine characteristics when communicating with employees. This study provides a greater understanding of female leaders from the perspectives of employees, especially in the communication aspect as well as what organisations can do to help women overcome gender bias and discrimination in the workplace.