The Athena Doctrine: How Women (and the Men Who Think Like Them) Will Rule the Future

Women, often criticized in the workplace for their softer, more compassionate approach to management, are now seeing these same values move to the forefront of the business world. Gerzema and D’Antonio (coauthors of Spend Shift) document this dramatic shift in global opinion. The authors surveyed a wide range of cultural, geographical, political, religious, and economically diverse groups across 13 countries, attempting to understand how people “gauge the times we live in.” They were surprised to find dissatisfaction not only with government and the economy, but with the conduct of men in general, even in male-dominated societies such as Japan. People now seek more expressive leaders. As the authors write: “Masculine traits like aggression and control are seen as less effective than the feminine values of collaboration and sharing credit.” The authors examine numerous examples of how these now-prized qualities manifest themselves everywhere from China and Israel, to Bhutan and Kenya. They also provide a captivating look at how individuals, regardless of gender and ethnicity, view behaviors as masculine, feminine, or neutral. A fascinating case study of human nature, this book provides insight into future world leaders. Agent: James Levine, the Levine Greenberg Agency. (Apr.)