A recent study has found that colleagues view female leaders more favorably during a crisis, such as a pandemic, than male ones, according to the Harvard Business Review. The researchers assessed 454 men and 366 women on their leadership qualities using a custom tool to perform 360-degree feedback, where leaders are reviewed by their supervisors, peers and subordinates.

The study asked these workers to measure leaders on 19 different competencies reflecting their performance during the COVID-19 crisis. What it found was that female leaders were rated higher on 13 of the 19 metrics, such as "takes initiative," "collaboration and teamwork," and "inspires and motivates others." The only area where men were rated higher than women was in technical/professional expertise, and even then not by much. The researchers also found that the average employee engagement score for men was 49.2 percent, while for women it was 55.2 percent.

The researchers believe the differences reflect what people value in a leader in crisis situations, such as the ability to pivot and learn new skills; to emphasize employee development even when times are tough; to display honesty and integrity; and to be sensitive and understanding of the stress, anxiety, and frustration that people are feeling.