Abstract
A recent study of family businesses derived five approaches to leadership and tested these leadership styles for their relationship to family and business outcomes (Sorenson, 1999). This study argues that women have a natural tendency toward participative and referent leadership. Although leadership studies are inconsistent, recent studies in brain research suggest that men and women are "wired differently" in ways that might sustain a participative and/or referent approach to leadership. MANOVA test results indicate that women and men do not differ significantly in their use of the four styles of leadership: participative, referent, mission, or dominant. A significant interaction indicated a significant and positive relationship between participative leadership and business outcomes for men (r = .39), but not for women (r = -.12).