Confident speaker: Margaret Thatcher famously went to voice coaching lessons to lower her voice, to make sure she did not come across like a ‘shrill female’ Photo: REX FEATURES
Although it is no longer a fantasy to have women in upper management positions (we can personally attest to that), our society’s perception of leading women hasn’t progressed as those women have. Even some women in the leadership roles have so many stipulations before they can feel successful. Women like Sheryl Sandberg do encourage us women to push for more responsibility, more influence and more money, but some of us still need to have our “ducks in a row” before feeling like we’ve made a difference.
According to a study conducted by the New York Times, men are simply expected and encouraged to fill leadership roles and do so with ease. When men fill these positions, the whole office is supportive of his career move. This is brought to a standstill when a woman takes that position. Yes it is not at all a stigma when a woman leads a company but how does she feel about her success? Does she have much influence on her colleagues? How do they perceive her career moves?
Not all companies are like this, just like no woman is the same. But the communication between women and society about their success is lacking. The same study revealed that women need both the authority and evidence of their influence to actually feel the success of their position. Maybe they perceive the hesitance of their colleagues as they take on this leadership role. Regardless, more communication about how influential women leaders are could make a dent in the perception of women leaders.