As more women move to senior management, so the attitudes to gender will change and the qualities needed to excel as a leader undergo reassessment. Eventually, like-minded men and women will be sharing boardroom responsibilities. Sarah Dowding reports We have all heard of the glass ceiling, but not everyone believes it exists and others think it has been shattered. Well, the 1990s certainly saw an increase in the number of superwomen in business. Just look at Nicola Horlick, mother of five and a former leading fund manager with Deutsche Morgan Grenfell, Dame Stella Rimington, former chief of MI5 and Penny Hughes, former president of Coca-Cola Great Britain and Ireland. That is all well and good, but please take note, these are now all "former" positions held by the women. None has remained. Only 6.1% of today's directors are women, according to the Institute of Management, although that is nearly double the 1998 figure of 3.6%. Norman Mailer, the US novelist and social commentator, says the glass ceiling is as strong as it has ever been. He also says that women are kidding themselves if they think the "mediocrities" who run the corporate world will let them get to the top. While there may be some men who have no intention of removing the ceiling, there are many women out there with more than suitable qualifications and skills who are determined to break through. Looking back to last year's school and college A-level results, teenage girls obtained higher grades than those of the boys. Girls have higher expectations than previous generations and are, therefore, prepared to work harder. Women already in the market place are using networking as an important element for getting ahead and women are becoming more influential. One in five managers is a woman which is a huge difference compared with 10 years ago when the figure was one in 13. David Mercer, director of the Open University Business School's Future Observatory, says in his book entitled Future Revolutions: "One of the most distinctive features of the 21st century will be the growing power of women." Women generally have a different style of leadership to men. They tend to lead by persuasion as opposed to domination, which is a more masculine trait. The longer women stay committed, working their way up the ladder, the more of them there will be to choose from when it comes to appointing a chief executive. Remember, not many men make the boardroom either. Many women see themselves as more than a career person ­ they have a wider vision of life. Therefore many have no desire to break the glass ceiling if it means devoting their lives to their jobs. Looking at the long hours and the stress they choose to steer away from that option. They also fear those with the view that a woman with a life outside work, or with a family to care for, isn't committed to her job. Procter & Gamble runs a sex@work.shop programme, designed to help staff understand how men and women operate differently at work ­ and it has proved popular with both genders. Retaining good people is essential to the cost effectiveness and success of any business. Sessions such as these improve team performance and management styles, once individuals understand how the opposite sex operates. Opportunity Now, the campaign to promote more women in business, presented Procter & Gamble with an award for the programme. P&G is now measuring the effectiveness of its efforts to motivate women to move from middle to senior management. The results are encouraging. As the workplace changes, so does our attitude towards gender and to the qualities needed to excel as a leader. The future will be women at the top and, alongside them, men who are more in touch with their feminine side. Are you woman enough to be boss? {{LEADING EDGE }}