The Catch-22 of Being Female and a Leader
“Studies show that women who are caring and compassionate are often considered less competent. [And] women who display confidence by speaking up are often labeled as cold and unlikable. They’re criticized for being too bossy and assertive, and not caring enough.” So, as a woman at work, you can be likable and overlooked, or you can be noticed and disliked.
Those aren’t great ways to get promoted, which may be why: in 2019, only 85 women were promoted for every 100 men. (To be fair, this is progress, but men still hold 62% of all management-level positions, and we need do better.) We need to be actively working to create parity and equality in our organizations.
It’s important to recognize that we all hold biases, even if we don’t mean to (or even want to). These judgments that we make subconsciously often come from our families or origin, from the communities where we grew up, and sometimes especially from the media. Knowing that you may be unwittingly passing judgment is the first step to counteracting those knee-jerk reactions.
Think about where you might be holding bias. In what ways might bias be showing up in your organization? How do you talk with your managers and train them to overcome their biases?
How can you proactively work to recruit, train, and support women in leadership positions throughout your business? Who are the women you’ve already hired? In what areas do they need to grow? How are you helping to mentor them and shape them into future leaders within your company (or outside of it)?
Sources:
National Conflict Resolution Center – https://ncrconline.com
McKinsey & Company and https://LeanIn.org