This article provides a discussion of academic research on perceived differences in leadership style according to gender. The authors summarise the empirical evidence on male and female leadership styles, arguing that stereotypes associated with gender and work roles affect perceptions of leadership more than any actual differences.

Three different paradigms relating to perceptions of gender and leadership are identified: "gender blind", where the leadership styles of the two genders are seen as identical; "gender conscious", where differences are perceived to exist and allowances are made to cultivate female leadership; and a "perception creates reality" perspective which sees the styles of both genders as being similar, but with perceptions altered by stereotypes.

The paper discusses the impact of the three paradigms on human resource policy and practice, and presents the self-assessed perspectives and practices of two multinational corporations as illustrative case studies.