Northouse, Leadership 9e
SAGE Publishing, 2022
Class Activities
Chapter 14: Gender and Leadership
Activities
These activities may be used in either small-group or large-group settings, depending on class size and
The Gender-Leader Implicit Association Test
Have students complete the Gender-Leader Implicit Association Test individually and share their results
in small groups. As each group reports its results in a large-group discussion, compile a master list
Variation on Gender Exercise
A slightly different approach to this exercise would be to divide the students into small groups based on
gender. When the large group reconvenes, record the results both by group and by gender. This
Case Analysis
Assign each case to one or more small groups for in-class analysis and discussion. Each small group
should then report back to the entire class about the results of its group work.
Class Debate
Divide the class into two groups and assign each group to argue either for or against the following
proposition: Gender has no relevance to leadership style or effectiveness. Set whatever ground rules
you wish. Afterwards, discuss the best arguments for each side. What topics arose in the debate that
might suggest future questions for research?
Northouse, Leadership 9e
SAGE Publishing, 2022
Brainstorm #1
In class have students brainstorm ways that barriers still exist to full gender equality in the workplace.
Brainstorm #2
Have the class brainstorm multiple ways people self-identify (or are categorized by others) in society
today (e.g., gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, undocumented worker, physical ability, social
class, body diversity, etc.).
• Discuss how these identities are not mutually exclusive. We do not just have ONE attribute, for
example, “Male.” A person may be male, Black, middle-class, heterosexual, Muslim, and much
more.
Guest Speaker
Invite a campus or community leader to speak to the class about how they have come to understand
their intersectional identities over time. What social and work experiences have helped form those
Lean in Circles
From leanin.org comes this definition: “Lean in Circles are small groups who meet regularly to learn and
grow together. Circles are as unique as the individuals who start them, but they all share a common
Northouse, Leadership 9e
SAGE Publishing, 2022
bond: the power of peer support. Women are asking for more and stepping outside their comfort zones,
and men and women are talking openly about gender issues for the first time.”
Deconstructing a Claim
In class, break up the opening paragraph in the “Strengths” section into smaller statements. Ask
students to look up the research support cited for each statement or to find outside sources to illustrate
the various points. How might these strengths play out in students’ current or future occupations?
• Understanding the research into gender and leadership can help advance women into higher
levels of leadership.
• More demographically diverse pools of candidates . . . facilitate greater levels of organizational
success.
Writing Assignments
Contemporary Leadership
Have students write a 2–3-page reaction paper about a contemporary woman leader, using the research
findings discussed in this chapter to analyze this individual’s professional experiences and career
success. Students should also discuss how this approach provides a useful way to understand the
leadership shown by this individual.
Northouse, Leadership 9e
SAGE Publishing, 2022
Historic Leadership
Ask students to read a biography of a female U.S. leader from the late 19th to mid-20th century (such as
Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Harriet Tubman, Jane Addams, or Eleanor Roosevelt). What
The Most Powerful Women
Every year Fortune magazine publishes a special issue featuring its selections of the most powerful
women in business. Ask students to look up the current year’s issue through their library’s online
The Gender-Leader Implicit Association Test
Have students write a 2–3-page reaction paper that explains their associations on the Gender-Leader
One-Minute Paper Topics
How is the gender gap narrowing?
Are women as competitive as men?
Internet Activities
Internet #1: Class Blog
In your class blog or chat room, write about some of the discussion questions provided in this chapter.
Some additional questions are suggested here:
• Do you prefer working for a male or female leader? Why?
Northouse, Leadership 9e
SAGE Publishing, 2022
Internet #2: Pat Summitt
Pat Summitt, retired basketball coach of the (Tennessee) Lady Volunteers, won more games than any
college basketball coach, male or female. She summarizes her coaching system in “The Definite Dozen.”
Look up the 12 parts of the system online and watch video clips of Summitt coaching on YouTube.
Discuss in class: How would you characterize Summitt’s leadership style? Does she display masculine,
feminine, or androgynous leadership traits and skills? Does her system of a dozen values reflect any
gender patterns? How does Summitt balance agentic and communal leadership behaviors? As an
athletic coach, does she encounter the same double standard for behavior that female politicians do?
Could she be an effective coach for a male college basketball team? Would she be respected by the
players?
Internet #3: Web Search
This can be done as an individual or group assignment. Go online to a business magazine home page
Internet #4: Center for Creative Leadership
Internet # 5: Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO
Go online and watch one or more of Sheryl Sandberg’s TED talks.
Option A) “Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders” 2010 TED talk on “leaning in.” This talk started
Sandberg’s rise to fame as a spokesperson for women’s issues in the workplace. Play the talk in class and
Northouse, Leadership 9e
SAGE Publishing, 2022
Take the same poll in class that Sandberg does with her audience. What can we do with this insight
today?
Option C) “So we leaned in . . . now what? TED interview. The onstage interview before a live audience
took place after the publication of Sandberg’s book, Leaning in.
• How does seeing “people like yourself” (same sex, same age, same ethnicity) in an audience feel
reassuring?
• Sandberg gives three reasons why it’s not okay to talk about being a woman in the workplace.
What do you think?
Lean in Circles
From leanin.org comes this definition: “Lean in Circles are small groups who meet regularly to learn and
grow together. Circles are as unique as the individuals who start them, but they all share a common
bond: the power of peer support. Women are asking for more and stepping outside their comfort zones,
and men and women are talking openly about gender issues for the first time.”
Go online and peruse the resources of this new movement/organization.
• In class, or as a written homework assignment, have students look up and discuss “10 Tips for
Go online and research companies that are using Lean in Circles to discuss gender issues in their