There are a multitude of approaches when it comes to examining the concept of leadership. Leadership can be examined through the lens of theories, whether behavioral, trait, or contingency. Leadership can also be examined through the lens of styles, whether transactional, participative, transformative, charismatic, or servant. Wren writes: “Leadership is a complex phenomenon, involving the constant interaction of three essential elements: the leader, the followers, and the surrounding situation or context. An effective leader must know something about everyone and how they interact. (Wren, p. 125). In the “Leaders” section, Wren brings together leader-focused readings, bringing to the forefront issues related to characteristics, behaviors, gender, and minorities and how they influence leadership. In this essay, I will examine the issue of gender, particularly whether women lead differently than men. I will compare Virginia Schein's findings with those of other researchers. Schein begins by explaining that in our quest to know what makes effective leaders, we have begun to look beyond trait and behavioral theories, beyond contingency theories, and have turned our attention to the question of know how gender affects leadership. She explains that one view suggests that women would lead differently by being "oriented toward cooperation, teamwork, and concern for others." (Schein, p. 162) From this perspective, possessing feminine characteristics would be beneficial and thus increase the opportunities for women to reach leadership positions. However, she points out, the emphasis on gender-based characteristics is actually counterproductive to promoting women's equality in the workplace, because it "perpetuates gender... middle of paper......make gender the determining factor. influence the behavior of leaders based on the many other circumstances and mitigating factors of this puzzle. A woman leader can lead in a particular way in one context and adapt in another way in different circumstances. I believe that female leaders have the ability to lead differently than male leaders. Whether they choose it or not is another matter. Works Cited Lowen, L. (nd). About.com: women's issue. Retrieved July 25, 2010 from http://womensissues.about.com/od/intheworkplace/a/WomenLeaders.htmRosener, J. (1995). Ways Women Lead. In T. Wren, The leader's companion (pp. 161-167) New York: The Free Press. Schein, V. (1995). Would women lead differently? In T. Wren, The Leader's Companion (pp. 149-160) New York: The Free Press. Yukl, G. (2009). Leadership in organizations. (pp. 448-453) Prentice Hall.