Voices from two sides of the Atlantic: Women's leadership in Finland and the United States

“Voices from Two Sides of the Atlantic” is a report of a case study that I conducted in 2006 on women's leadership in the United States and Finland. Two participants in each country represent highly accomplished leaders in higher education and one participant in each country is an elected public official. My goal was to determine how the women leaders perceive the social context in which they grew up influenced their leadership; whether a connection exists between socialization, social values, and leadership; how women view themselves as leaders and what values are important for them in their leadership roles. The results demonstrate that national enculturation does not impact leadership execution, but it provides a framework for life, which impacts how the women define their role in society.