Chapter 20: Women as Leaders in the Progressive Movement

Camilla Stivers

Women as leaders in the progressive movement In the early 20th-century United States, women in the Progressive movement offered a different image of leadership from the ones found in today's guidebooks. Most of today's leadership thinking focuses on key individuals who shape organizations and drive them forward. Conventional wisdom says that leaders are found at or near the top in the management hierarchy of the modern organization or the political hierarchy of government. It is said that society needs leaders to set goals and keep the rest of us on the path to reaching them. Leaders are seen as visionaries, decision makers, strategic managers, and motivators—but always as individuals who influence others (“followers”). Books and articles offer guidelines on how to be an effective leader, despite the lack of scientific evidence linking particular leadership styles to results. In addition, contemporary leadership—despite some strides—still often reflects masculine images: the warrior, the ...

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