Readers may, recently, have came across an interesting piece of statistics. It seems that a recent survey by ASSOCHAM on "Preference of Bosses in Emerging Corporate Culture" has revealed that 68% of executives surveyed preferred to have male bosses as they were reportedly quicker in decision making and let their subordinates have more operational freedom. Interestingly two thirds of these were women! The things that went against women bosses were that they were more emotional and could not concentrate as much on work because of other pre-occupations like family matters etc.

Do men and women have different personality traits that influence their respective behaviours as leaders? Or do their reactions to work related situations have more to do with their leadership skills than their gender? After all, is leadership not about  having a vision, its articulation and motivating people to its achievement? If that were true, both men and women would equally appear capable of being successful leaders. And the sheer number of successful women in all spheres of life would prove it. Yet, the above survey points out that gender does affect, if nothing else, popularity of bosses.

One would have imagined that typical male prejudices might have clouded the judgement of male respondents (MCPs?). But the survey shows that two thirds of those who preferred male bosses were women! Why is that women prefer men as their bosses when conventional wisdom would have suggested that women bosses could empathise more with them?

I have had two female bosses and know others, though they were not my bosses. Speaking for myself, when it comes to bosses-male or female- I think there is nothing really to choose between the devil and the deep sea. I would rather have none.

And as to the survey? You know how they are used to justify results any which way. Surely you must have heard of the drunk and the lamp post and how the post is more for support than illumination. Personally though, I find this one more picturesque- 'Statistics is like a bikini. What it reveals is suggestive and what it conceals is vital'! So much for these surveys.

But seriously, what do you think? Would you rather have a male or female Hari Sadu as your boss?