Voices from Two Sides of the Atlantic: Lessons Learned

Voices from Two Sides of the Atlantic? examines leadership experiences of highly accomplished women in the United States and Finland. The study was constructed by using a qualitative multi-disciplinary research design that used European and American leadership and social science theories. The research examined how the women leaders, in countries with contrasting histories of women?s participation in leadership, perceive the social context in which they grew up influenced their leadership, whether a connection exists between enculturation, social values, and leadership, how women view themselves as leaders and what values are important for them in their leadership roles. In the increasingly global and interconnected world we benefit from deeper understanding of how culture influences leadership behavior because leadership occurs within a social context. Often leadership research is reported through the words of the researcher but this study gave the voice to the subjects of the study. Their compelling stories will help us to understand their leadership journeys and enable us to improve the path for future generations.