Vision, gender, and context: examining visioning styles in men and women leaders across three contexts

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore how men and women leaders describe vision as part of their leadership behavior across three contexts (military, private business, and government). Design/methodology/approach Data from semi-structured interviews conducted with 66 senior leaders across Canada were analyzed. Findings Both men and women leaders across contexts perceive vision to be important. However, vision was perceived to be least important in the government context. Some gender similarities and differences in visioning styles were also noted across contexts. Men and women in the military utilized a more directive visionary leadership style. In private business, men reported more directive approaches to vision than women, who were primarily participative. In government, men reported more participative approaches than women, who were primarily directive. Explanations for these findings are discussed. Originality/value This is the first study to qualitatively explore how men and women leaders perceive and describe their use of organizational vision across three different contexts.