LEADERSHIP, MEN AND EQUALITY

This article describes a workshop to develop men in organisations to take leadership in promoting equality. The nature of men's conditioning and the stresses associated with leadership are seen to reinforce one another in producing rigid and isolated leadership. Successfully developing men's leadership depends on giving men the opportunity to deal with both of these issues. Useful questions for men to address are suggested in the article. What emerged from this workshop was the contrast between stereotypes of men and masculinity and the actual feelings and difficulties of the participating men. The workshop also highlighted how men's conditioning is reinforced by organisational expectations as to how men should behave if they are to get ahead in their careers. Finally, the workshop showed the usefulness of separtate training for men where the focus is on positive role for men in supporting equality.