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Recent research into men’s friendships reveals that men rarely discuss personal and family issues with their male counterparts. Instead, men are more activity-oriented and prefer to reminisce about the past. In contrast, women prefer to pour out their hearts to one another. Men just want to keep their social relationships simple. First and foremost, the article raises the question about whether there is a connection between social styles and leadership styles.

QUESTIONS:

  1. The present study calls into question Gender Similarities Hypothesis. Think about this. Do differences in the way men and women approach social relationships translate into differences in terms of how they lead? If so, what might the differences be?
  2. The article is directly relevant to emotional intelligence. If we accept that men and women deal with emotions differently in social relationships, will they do the same when leading others? What does this suggest about the management of self as a leader?

SOURCE: J. Zaslow, “Friendship for Guys (No Tears!),” Wall Street Journal (Retrievable online at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304620304575166090090482912.html)

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