Study: Women Leaders Perceived as Effective as Male Counterparts (American Psychological Association, 2014)
Finding: When it comes to being perceived as effective leaders, women are rated as highly as men, and sometimes higher.
InPower Insight: Regardless of what you think “is true” about how effective women are in leadership roles, the research says that women are strong leaders.
Summary: While men tend to rate themselves as significantly more effective than women rate themselves, when ratings by others were examined, women came out ahead on perceptions of effectiveness.
When looking only at ratings submitted by others (as opposed to self-ratings), women were seen as more effective leaders than men in middle management, business and education organizations, according to the study. Additionally, women were seen as more effective when they held senior-level management positions. The researchers theorize that some of this effect could be due to a “double standard of competence,” meaning some people presume that women leaders have to be extra competent to get into top positions.
Career Coaching: If you’re interested in going higher on the leadership ladder, but worry you won’t be viewed as credible by others… worry less and do more to make sure those around you understand how good your best is.
Guide to Women in Leadership
Organizations with women in their executive suites regularly out-perform others. Yet rising female executives (and their mentors) are frustrated at how hard it is to break through the glass ceiling. In this extensive guide, Executive Coach Dana Theus shares her tried and true strategies to help women excel into higher levels of leadership and achieve their executive potential.
