Is gender relevant in business?

In the article, Does Gender Matter by Stephen Long, the author discusses how women perform in positions of power, such as in businesses. A point was made in a referenced article that women must walk a “thin pink line” in how they command their employees. Women leaders do not want to be perceived as too bitchy or too girly, so they must balance themselves to appear just right. The author says that both men and women in powerful positioåns must balance between the two extremes (Long). Women are not alone with that issue; all leaders have that challenge. The author says that gender is not the issue; the issue is merely that of competence.
I agree with the author and don’t believe woman face any for struggles managing other people than men. Men also have the issue of appearing too much like an asshole, or too wimpy. By being in a position of power with the authority to terminate and/or reprimand subordinates, respect comes automatically because people do not want to lose their jobs; and if they do, then they won’t be an issue for very long. Only if the woman in charge shows weakness and puts up with crap from employees will she have a difficult time dealing with employees: but men have that same issue. The skills mentioned that are required to lead successfully are not gender specific. Each leader must find the best way to lead for himself/herself because different tactics work for different people and different employees. Success in business is not dependent upon gender, it is dependent on competence, as the author said, or luck. There’s plenty of men who have failed in business, and plenty of women who have succeeded.

In business, the most successful leaders, regardless of gender, are usually those who make hard decisions for the best interest of the business with no regard for humanity: these people are often assholes and bitches, unfortunately. The most successful leaders are those who are uninterested in their appearance, or delusional about it. Leaders who are disconnected from their employees and apathetic about them will be able to make hard decisions. In addition, leaders who have no ethical concerns and are willing to take down competition and stab people in the back. Success in business is not dependent on gender.

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Long, Stephen. "Does Gender Matter?" Weblog post. Fast Company. 9 Feb. 2009.  Mansueto Ventures LLC. 20 Feb. 2009 .