Name: The likability dilemma for women leaders
Uploaded: 2022-04-13T19:45:22Z
Duration: 9 min 44 s
Description: When women lead, bias often follows. Documentarian Robin Hauser dives into the dilemma between competence and likability faced by women in leadership roles, detangling the unconscious beliefs and gendered thinking that distort what it means to be a good leader.

Robin Hauser: The likability dilemma for women leaders

The likability dilemma for women leaders

When women lead, bias often follows. Documentarian Robin Hauser dives into the dilemma between competence and likability faced by women in leadership roles, detangling the unconscious beliefs and gendered thinking that distort what it means to be a good leader.

Women who show ambition and assertiveness often face a subtle yet relentless form of bias that labels them as unlikeable, even when their competence matches that of men. In a revealing experiment, a female leader was judged as less likeable than her identical male counterpart, even though both were seen as equally capable. These ingrained double standards mean women are penalized for displaying leadership qualities that are praised in men. Challenging these stereotypes requires both awareness and active disruption to redefine what true leadership looks like.