Do women want to be CEO? Or is their goal thwarted by incongruous perceptions?

What is stopping women from reaching the highest echelons of management and leadership in the corporate world? Is it about systemic barriers preventing females from advancing?

Yes, in part, as there are visible and less visible organizational mechanisms that can prevent women from excelling based solely on the fact that they are women. An example of this is the performance review research that we explore in this article. There is also a misunderstanding of what power is and how it can encumber a woman’s pursuit of leadership more than it would for a male colleague. Do women simply not understand the rewards? Are we told not to expect them as quickly or ever? Is the unlevel playing field too exhausting? Or do we simply not want it enough?

Systemic Hinderances – Bias in the Humans Means Bias in the System

A study by Kieran Synder produced some interesting findings. It was based on 248 reviews that she gathered from 180 people— 105 men and 75 women. The reviews came from 28 different companies and included large technology corporations, mid-size companies, and smaller environments. Snyder’s objective was to determine the correlation between gender and negative feedback. Corporate evaluations of this type are generally considered a platform for constructive criticism that can help a professional grow and become more productive. But how “constructive” is a biased assessment? Snyder’s study revealed that reviews for women were far more likely to contain acrimonious evaluations and caustic notes about personality flaws. While both men and women were given suggestions that could be considered constructive, it was primarily women who were told to change their ways. The findings were the same whether the reviewing manager was male or female.

Snyder details 83 critical reviews received by men. Only 2 had comments about the professional’s personality. However, the 94 critical reviews of female professionals contained 71 negative personality comments. The upshot of the findings is that while 76% of the females had been assigned traits by their assessor that were perceived as “personality flaws” those same traits were ignored (and possibly seen as a positive) in male counterparts since only 2.4% of males “personality” were even commented on in the reviews.

What Women Want

Melinda Marshall is the co-author of the report, from the Center of Talent Innovation, “Women Want Five Things.” Her extensive research on women in the 35-50 age range revealed a dip in their aspiration for more power despite the key finding that it is power that enables women to achieve what they want.

There is an incongruous perception amongst women who are at the peak of their careers regarding power. Their viewpoint is that the burden of an authoritative position outweighs the benefits. This perspective is shared by 60% of the women surveyed in the U.S., 65 % of women in the U.K., and 49% of women in Germany.

It is not that they lack proper ambition and qualification. Rather, it is that these women do not see executive roles as a viable means of achieving what they are really after: “the ability to flourish, a way of reaching for meaning and purpose, and the desire to excel, empower others, and be empowered.”

Though corporate goals for both genders are similar, the motivation among female professionals is waning. They simply cannot see how the value of having a top position warrants the struggle necessary to reach and maintain it.

Marshall concluded that “Sometimes women do not have clear goals, early mentorship and sponsorship by women leaders who can make a difference.” By making an effort to single out promising women and encouraging early positive dialogue, corporations can aid in developing female executive talent before aspiration begins to dwindle.

In addition to identifying the value proposition of women with leadership potential, Women Want Five Things contrasts the “realities” of holding a powerful position with the “female expectations” of having a powerful position. Instead of regarding power as something that will hold them back from reaching their five point value proposition, women can begin to view leadership as a positive force that can help them achieve their goals. Marshall explains the equivocation many females have about attaining power. They may hear and focus on the guilt a female leader experiences after having made personal sacrifices, and they conclude that reaching for the top is simply not worth the effort. However, when women are able to see that their value proposition will be fulfilled with a position of power, they are compelled to strive for success.

Nicki Gilmour, organizational psychologist and CEO of theglasshammer.com comments “Power and authority dynamics are at the very heart of the diversity question. Women and men often have similar corporate goals, and it is rarely discussed that men should be anything else but successful at work which is a huge disservice to both sexes since some men just like some women just aren’t that ambitious. It is, however, but the constant scrutiny of female executives’ behavior along with the systemic hindrances that are built into the system historically that continues to define what leadership traits look like. The incongruence lies here not with the individual’s desire for power since with every other message women are given throughout their life on how to be is very misaligned with traditional ideas of how an executive should act, therefore being it less appealing.”

By Kathleen Delaney