However, when women are depicted as successful managers that correspondence between women in general and successful managers strengthen. This statement illustrates the point that support from upper management may be crucial to how a new leader, man or woman, will be perceived. A meta-analysis takes all past research on a similar topic and combines it to demonstrate what common results were achieved. Male and female leaders are equally effective. Male leaders tend to be best when the roles are defined in masculine terms.
Female leaders tend to be best when roles are defined in feminine terms.
A situation is likely to favor either male or female leadership styles. Across the board, male and female leadership styles are considered to be equally effective. The group consensus of male and female leadership styles is that one will not always be better than the other. Many times the situation itself will dictate the amount of success that a particular style of leadership has. Many times this is due to the fact that people may make up their minds about a new leader before they are given a chance to lead.