This is the sixth in a series of blog posts looking at the myths that act as barriers to women’s advancement in the workplace. These myths were discussed in a workshop moderated by Deborah Gillis, Vice President, Catalyst Canada at our WiN-Canada Conference held in Ottawa on Feb. 27, 2008. Catalyst is the leading nonprofit corporate membership research and advisory organization working globally with businesses and the professions to build inclusive environments and expand opportunities for women and business.

Myth #6 -- Women are not natural born leaders.

Citing Catalyst’s research, Women “Take Care,” Men “Take Charge,” 2005:

Stereotypes can limit women’s opportunities for advancement into top leadership positions. This is because stereotypes of women often portray them as lacking the very qualities commonly associated with effective leadership. Stereotypes paint men as a much more natural fit for top leadership positions than women.

Common Stereotypes of Women and Men Based on Psychological Research (David Schneider, The Psychology of Stereotyping. New York: Guilford Press, 2005)

Women’s Traits
• Affectionate
• Appreciative
• Emotional
• Friendly
• Sympathetic
• Mild
• Pleasant
• Sensitive
• Sentimental
• Warm
• Whiny

Men’s Traits
• Dominant
• Achievement-oriented
• Active
• Ambitous
• Coarse
• Forceful
• Aggressive
• Self-confident
• Rational
• Tough
• Emotional

Contrast each set of above traits with what typically comes to mind when we think about leaders. We often think of leaders as dominant and ambitious - as embodying qualities that closely match the stereotype of men.

On the other hand, the traits that make up the feminine stereotype (e.g., friendliness and sensitivity) are seen as less vital to leadership. These stereotypes result in women being evaluated less positively than men for leadership positions.

These stereotypic beliefs spill over into the workplace, posing an invisible and powerful threat to women leaders. Gender stereotypes portray women as lacking the very qualities that people commonly associate with effective leadership. As a result, they often create false perceptions that women leaders just don’t measure up to men in important ways.

Catalyst’s Bottom Line on Stereotypes vs. Reality - Even though analyses of more than 40 studies of leadership, spanning more than 15 years, fail to support their perceptions, women leaders are still judged better at “caretaking” leadership behaviours and men better at “taking charge” behaviours.

So, what can you do to help debunk the myth that “Women are not natural born leaders”? We all need to encourage our organizations to take the necessary steps to check this bias so that women leaders are not misjudged and to make sure we maximize the potential of all employees.

Share your experiences with leadership stereotypes by leaving a comment on the blog. Do you have any strategies that have helped you overcome the stereotypes placed on women? Join the conversation. We can all learn from one another.

This blog brings an end to our series looking at the myths that act as barriers to women’s advancement in the workplace. Please leave us a comment and let us know whether or not you found the information helpful in planning your own career advancement.