Gender Features of Motivation for Leadership of University Students

Abstract

The article deals with the analyzes the main approaches to defining the concept of «motivation for leadership» in youth. Motivation for student leadership is a complex formation in the personality structure that involves many needs (in power, achievement, affiliation, control, risk), whose presence provides a steady desire to take leadership positions and demonstrate leadership behavior. These needs are most often actualized in youth. The components of students’ motivations for leadership are identified: individual needs and motives (leadership motives are an indicator); personality orientation (types of orientation are an indicator); personality behavior (leadership style is an indicator). An empirical study of the gender features of motivation for leadership in student youth has revealed:  in the formation of a future leader, family education is crucial, where parent leaders have children with leadership qualities; women above men evaluate their leadership potential, but men are more satisfied with their role as a leader; among the motives of leadership, women most often chose the motive of affiliation, and men – the motive of power. That is, for women the role of leader allows to expand the circle of acquaintance with new people and to apply cooperation (orientation towards someone), and for men leadership qualities encourage the use of power and domination in different spheres of life (orientation towards oneself); in men, especially leaders, the desire for success is higher than for women; motivation to achieve is more pronounced in men; men’s and women’s leaders have more advanced leadership skills than those who do not actively participate in student self-government. At the same time, leaders students are highly motivated, risk-averse and self-motivated; female students show masculinity and democratic leadership style; leaders students most often choose the personality orientation for themselves, and female students – the orientation for activity; - androgynous personalities predominate among student youth, however, the leaders tends to be a masculine personality.