Women managers are progressively entering the corporate world and have began. efficiently managing businesses across the globe. Women bring their exceptional qualities and exclusive strengths to workplaces that impact organisational performance. Their distinct style of management is one of the main ingredients for the recipe of organisational success.

Due to a cultural and economic shift, women are now in the driving seat of new and non-traditional businesses. Until very recently, the general perception of business management was a structure dominated by males whose leadership style was hierarchical, and action-oriented.

The ideal business leader was seen as an independent, tough, individualistic person. But now a new generation of women is bringing to business a style often described as more consensus-building, more open and inclusive, more likely to encourage participation by others, and even more caring than that of many males.

There is a set of personal characteristics necessary for an individual to manage a business and these characteristics differ in men and women. Women managers have innately different ways of looking at things and they are particularly strong in managing inter-personal relationships. They are good at working with people more effectively and more holistically than men.

Moreover, they are more sensitive to social cues so they are more sensitive to feelings of employees and their problems. They believe that management is not about giving orders. Women are typically more nurturing, better communicators and are more willing to share. And in today's changing work culture, where the emphasis is on team work and open and easy communication, these characteristics may give women a competitive edge.

Further, women are more consensual and caring. They have "soft skills” and have an added advantage of being flexible. Women are better at picking up incidental information and important environmental factors on the way to a goal, and they bring new ways of thinking to corporate organisations. This is the major reason, that women can be seen in the industries once considered fiercely male-dominated. Edward M. Moldt, managing director of the Snider Entrepreneurial Center at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, says that the women's approach is "one that is right for the times."

Adding a new dimension to the scenario is the question: “Could their kinder, collaborative management style be the solution to the toughest riddle in business - namely, growing fast while staying profitable?” Consider this also: last year, 93 of the firms in Profit's Top 100 Women Business Owners turned an operating profit. This also substantiate that management style of women also affect profits.

A study, The Bottom Line, by New York-based research and advisory group Catalyst, found companies with the highest representation of women on the senior management team had a 35-per-cent higher return on equity than those with the lowest representation. In addition to that, another, 2006 Sunday Times study of over 500 companies found those with over 60 per cent female managers had the happiest workforces.

Employees felt these organisations offered good managers, a good record for personal development and strong team relationships. Staff at these companies felt they were well-praised by their managers and that senior staff actually cared for them as individuals.

Indeed, women are gaining a competitive edge with an interactive management style that integrates power-sharing, open communication, flexibility and nurturing relationships. Scores of success stories about women in management positions proves that women can manage profitable companies.

Obviously, not all male and female managers fit prescribed pigeonholes. There is a fundamental set of characteristics shared by successful men and women executives, like leadership, drive, decision-making, self-confidence and honesty. The approach of male managers emphasise on values as those which make good employees.

On the other hand, the approach of female managers is much more oriented towards the long-term success and harmony of the organisation. Integrating both the approaches creates synergy needed to achieve organizational success. “In the end, finding the balance between two management styles is the key to success.”

Fortunate businesses are those in which these differing styles become complementary rather than confrontational. Men and women are learning the strengths of each other's approach. Many women are incorporating the best of the traditional styles, such as focus on performance, into their leadership portfolios, while more men are adopting the so-called "soft" approaches that women use effectively.

Thus we can conclude that cultural and economics shifts have driven women into corporations with non traditional roles. Men and women have different management styles. Management style of women is far more competitive than management style of men. Their mentoring and management style are the keys to their success. However, in order to accomplish the balance of an organisation, it is necessary that men and women learn from one another. Gender biases must be eliminated and intellectual honesty be encouraged.

The writer lives in Toronto