Content area
Full Text
Double standards are not a trivial issue; they undermine morale and are unjust. Often they are gender related. Leaders should be sensitive to this and careful to avoid the pitfall.
Leadership. We define it, we preach it, we study it in generic terms, but when we go to practice it, we seem to have two types: leadership for women and leadership for men. Rank doesn't seem to make a difference; private to general, there seems to be a notion that you don't lead men the way you lead women. It is a fallacy. Leadership for men and leadership for women are one and the same! The difference is not the gender, it is with the individual. Gender-related double standards in leadership are seen most frequently in the areas of acceptable behavior, customs, and regulations. We, as leaders, must become more aware of gender double standards because they affect the overall leadership we provide our units.
Personal appearance and uniform regulations are two of the easiest areas in which to maintain equitable standards. Yet most infractions occur in this area. Take, for instance, hair length. A male Marine usually will be berated by his section head if he marginally meets grooming standards-if his hair is too long or he hasn't shaved. In the same command, nothing will be said to the female Marine whose hair is hanging below the bottom edge of her shirt collar. What about the female Marine who is wearing purple nail polish or the one whose skirt is too short? When I have pointed out these violations of the uniform and grooming regulations, unit leaders respond with comments such as, "Well, her hair is neat" or "I'm not really...