Breaking the Glass Ceiling: 5 Biases Holding Women Back in Corporate Leadership
Even with gender equity advances, women corporate executives continue to contend with deeply rooted biases that hamper them and limit opportunities. These are not always explicit—but they define daily life and long-term career opportunities. Let us consider five recognizable biases women confront in the boardroom and more widely:
1. The “Likeability” Paradox
When men are assertive, they’re considered confident. When women are assertive, they’re generally labelled as aggressive or unlikeable. This double standard presents a thin line for most women leaders to walk between competence and being “likeable”-a bias grounded on outdated gender stereotypes.
2. Performance vs. Potential Bias
Men are expected to be superior on potential, while women are judged on a level of proven performance. This bias restricts women’s mobility upwards, especially in roles involving vision and risk-taking-traits falsely attributed to males.
3. The Maternal Wall
Working mothers are also subjected to presumptions that they are less available or dedicated for top jobs. Such prejudice, termed as the “maternal wall,” unfairly penalizes women who are managing both caregiving and career responsibilities even if they consistently meet goals.
4. The “Only Woman in the Room” Effect
When women are excluded from the leadership team, they are tokenized or invited to represent their entire gender. This bias results in extra scrutiny and pressure that ultimately renders them invisible in the decision-making room.
5. Attribution Bias
Women’s success is typically explained as a matter of luck or team success, and their failure as a matter of personal shortcomings. Men’s success, by contrast, is typically viewed as a matter of ability. Differential perception in this way erodes self-confidence and weakens leadership credibility.
Conclusion: Awareness is the first step to change. By recognizing these biases and doing the hard work of erasing them, organizations can create a stronger, more vibrant leadership pipeline—where women are valued not only for the way they lead, but also for what they achieve.
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