This document is a persuasive speech outline arguing that leadership ability is not based on gender. It begins by introducing the topic and thesis that both men and women can demonstrate effective leadership. It then explores gender roles in society, characteristics of different leadership styles, and examples of both male and female leaders throughout history. The conclusion restates that leadership effectiveness depends on the individual leader, not their gender.

1. Ashley A Hayes
Speech 101
Professor Holder
May 16, 2015
Persuasive Speech Outline
“Are male leaders better than female leaders?”
INTRODUCTION By a show of hands, how many of you believe that male leaders
better than female leaders? How about, female leaders being better than female?
THESIS
Leadership is defined as “the position or function of a leader, a person who guides or
directs a group”. Men and Women by nature contribute something different to society
and even more so in a leadership role. The goal of this presentation is to offer you, the
audience, a synopsis of 1. How each gender performs in society; 2. The characteristics
of a leader, and; 3. If each gender is more fitted for the role, based upon former and
present leaders. Let us begin.
BODY
#1 GENDER ROLESIN SOCIETY
Forbes Magazine reported in 2014 that in the year 2012 “Women held just 3.8% of Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) positions in Fortune 500 companies, and 90 out of 535 seats in
US Congress.” Let’s consider the role of the male in society; men are often more
authoritativeby nature, Automatically serve as disciplinarian and breadwinner in the
family. Appear unemotional, leaning toward the logical side of things. Keywords
describing men would be “courage, self-reliance, rationality, competitiveness,
ambition, risk-taking”
Women are often more submissive and can sometimes take on more stereotypically
‘masculine’ traits such as excessive assertiveness and dominance, and use their
personal feelings/emotions in relation to their work, career, and livelihood. Keywords to
describing women would be “honesty, intelligence, compassion and creativity.
Let’s jump into some characteristics of a leader.
#2 CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER
As we learned last week in our Group Presentations, there are many different types of
leadership styles; Authoritarian leaders, “whotell others what to do, give orders, and
make the final decisions regarding how to act or what to do”. Democratic leaders,
“characterized by the distribution of responsibility among the group members, a desire
to empower all members of the group, and a willingness to assist in decision making”;
Laissez Faire Leaders, “whooffers little or no guidance and allows individuals to make all

2. Ashley A Hayes
Speech 101
Professor Holder
May 16, 2015
decisions themselves, giving themas much freedomas possible” and finally,
Transformative Leader, “who createssignificant change in the life of people and
organizations.” Each gender has the ability to embody one or multiple leadership
styles, but in terms of gauging which gender performs better in the leadership role, one
must consider key leaders who have and currently serve in business.
#3 LEADERS IN ACTION
Leaders have come and gone throughout history, some effectiveand other’s missing
critical marks that derailed their reign.
John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States and considered an authoritarian
leader, saw the perfect opportunity to step in and start to create change when he
announced that the US would put men on the moon. “The goal wasn’t to create new
technologies, but to prove to America as a country that their vision would come out on
top when compared to the rest of the world. He declared how these goals would be
accomplished and although he didn’t live to see the fulfillment of these goals, it did
eventually happen.”
Martin Luther King, Civil Rights Leader, campaigned for equal rights for African
American’s. He stood on America’s front lines participating in peaceful protest,
advocating against segregation and “helped ensure improved accessto the political
system for all sections of society”.
Hilary Clinton, Wifeof former President Bill Clinton, Former United States Secretary of
State, Former United States Senator fromNew York, Democratic Candidate nomination
for the presidency in the 2016 election, and recent Grandmother, is no stranger to
leadership, “When her husband ran for President in 1992, he famously told American
votersthey would be getting "two for the price of one." Throughout her tenure as First
Lady, she became a leading voice on the global stage on behalf of women in the
developing world. And while many political wives are content with being a behind-the-
scenes adviser, Mrs. Clinton was right there, in congress and on the streets engaging
with the voting public and tackling those real issues. Her efforts were essentially very
democratic.
Gayle Smith, Newly nominated Administrator of US Agency for International
Development, the government agency in which I work for. Smith is Special Assistant to
the President and Senior Director at the National Security Council, where she is
responsible for global development, democracy, and humanitarian assistance issues.
“She was previously a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, Co-Chair of
the ENOUGH Project, and Co-Founder of the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network.
During the Clinton Administration, Smith previously served as Special Assistant to the

3. Ashley A Hayes
Speech 101
Professor Holder
May 16, 2015
President and Senior Director for African Affairsat the NSC, and as Senior Advisor to the
Administrator and Chief of Staff of the U.S. Agency for International Development.”
CONCLUSION
In summation, both Men and Women are fully capable of being leaders,
effectivenessis not based upon gender but on the leadership style of that leader.
While women are not considered equal in many circles of society, history has shown
that behind every man is a strong woman. In present and future opportunities, women
will take more leadership roles and will deliver new dynamics, philosophies and
contributions that will aid to the overall management of the world. Expectations will be
exceeded by both genders and hopefully, will prove that equally we both have
opportunities to exceed.

4. Ashley A Hayes
Speech 101
Professor Holder
May 16, 2015
BIBLIOGRAPY
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leader-a-man-or-a-woman/
Williams, R. (2012, December 15). Why Women May Be Better Leaders Than Men.
Retrieved April 27, 2015, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-
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America, A. (n.d.). Famous Authoritarian Leaders. Retrieved April 28, 2015, from
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Griffin, C. L., & Bone, J. E. (2014). Invitation to human communication (1st ed.).
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