And what are women doing with all that knowledge they learned in college, anyway?
These are the hard-hitting questions that will lead us to the answer of the epic question: who makes better politicians – Men or Women?
In this corner, we have The Men. The Men have pretty much been running the show since, well, forever. What they might lack in experience, they make up for in displays of great confidence. They like to live large and likely have less commitment to running their family, if they have one.
In this corner, we have The Women. The Women have quietly been letting The Men think they run the show since, well, forever. What they may lack in resume details, they make up for with time put in doing the grunt work and understanding the people they work with.
Before we can decide who the better leader is, we must define what a great leader is. (And why be "good", when you can be "great"). Research over the years shows us that Americans think a great leader is someone honest, intelligent, compassionate, and innovative.
After looking at the studies from recent years, it's hard to argue. Science says that when it comes to the traits needed to be a great leader -- The Women outperform The Men.
Here are the highlights:
It's not all bad news for Team Men. Men still occupy most leadership roles in this country, political or not.
The gender gap of power and influence in business and politics has a financial cost, and it's a big one. Basically, if the world were more balanced and women made equal pay, we'd see $12T more in the world's gross domestic product.
That breaks down to $23,620 per person, according to the World Bank.
This is where it gets really opinion-y. The data shows that men are overwhelmingly chosen for high-power positions over women and are paid more at the same time. But why is really a matter of interpretation. Because the data shows us that people say they don't prefer men, and that women and men are equally qualified to lead.
Anyone willing to lead.
If someone steps up to the plate, ready to lead or serve, they deserve a chance. Americans value hard work and talent, so let people's accomplishments and track records speak for themselves, and we all win.
Guess what? The President's leadership doesn't impact you all that much...but your local & state government reps do! Here’s three small things you can do that make a BIG impact:
