By Xiaowei Rose Luo

Published on 26/06/2018 and modified on 01/04/2021-Harvard Business Review France

If there are still few women in management positions, it’s because gender stereotypes are still legion… and women have unfortunately integrated some of them.

Companies that achieve the best results in promoting women are more profitable than their competitors. If this is the case, why do women still find it so difficult to reach positions of responsibility? The number of female CEOs in Fortune 500 companies fell to 24 in 2018 (less than 5%) from 32 in 2017 (a record), a drop of 25%. The “Glass Ceiling Index” of the “New York Times” is even more alarming: among the CEOs of S&P 1500 companies, in 2015, the number of men named John was higher than the total number of women. Much has been written about the stereotypes behind this glass ceiling, but most gender research has focused solely on the preconceived notions of organizations and their predominantly male leaders about women.

Less well known are the restrictions women impose on themselves. A study has shown that, whatever the context, there is no perceived difference between male and female managers in terms of managerial performance. In some contexts, women are even considered to perform significantly better than men. However, when asked to self-assess, men consider themselves to be significantly more successful than women when the latter are asked to do the same. One of the main obstacles to their careers is that they feel they have to make choices and follow a specific career path if they want to reach management positions. This also means that they feel they have to choose between their family and their career.

Turning interruptions into assets

When men enter the job market with a view to moving into a management position, they follow a highly codified, linear path. They climb the ladder systematically, making sure they meet the right people, accept the right positions (such as operations manager, for example), study for the right MBA and forge the right networks. On the other hand, women often expect their careers to be interrupted at regular intervals to achieve other goals or meet other obligations in their lives; these may include maternity, a spouse’s career or family constraints (children, elderly parents). These breaks are then supposed to limit their performance and potential, as management positions are more accessible to them if their career is linear and uninterrupted.

In fact, if well managed, these interruptions can be turned into assets. Take Steve Jobs. His dismissal from the Apple board was a major career break, but he used the opportunity to create a smaller company and diversify into the entertainment industry. When he returned to Apple, his outside experience helped him contribute even more to the company’s success (see also the article “Steve Jobs’ real leadership lessons”). While not all cuts are beneficial, they can promote flexibility and diversity, and thus be an advantage for a woman in an organization. When a woman gives up on a project – such as training – because she’s convinced that an interruption in her career would put her out of the job market, she’s wrong.

Quality over quantity

Another common misconception is that a woman with family commitments doesn’t have the time to fulfill her duties as a top manager. In reality, when it comes to making a decision, quality matters more than the amount of time spent sitting at a desk. Companies are increasingly recognizing the qualities of women in decision-making positions, as they bring other experiences, other points of view and new approaches to the market. A 2011 study on workplace flexibility and family-friendly policies showed that increased flexibility is positively correlated with professional commitment, job satisfaction, talent retention and employee health. Many organizations and institutions now recognize that more family-friendly policies attract better talent, which in turn increases productivity.

Of course, not all companies are convinced. Some still demand that employees “put in the hours”, no matter how productive they are, or still place more value on “attendance time” than on contribution. This doesn’t mean that women should give up their aspirations, or imagine that because they have less time, they are less valuable. Instead, they need to act strategically, and give preference to organizations with a corporate culture that recognizes the need forwork-life balance, and that offer, or create, an environment that respects everyone’s needs.

Closely related to this is the assumption that it is women who must provide for their families. Yet this responsibility should be assumed by men in the same way.

Rethinking value

Another obstacle for women is the definition of their value. By perpetuating the idea that the value of women and girls lies in their youth, beauty and sexuality, the media and mainstream culture contribute to the under-representation of women in leadership positions. (see also the column: “Gender stereotypes: what responsibility do brands bear?”). But if women know they are appreciated for a specific quality, they will tend to perfect it or, at the very least, try to maintain it. At a recent seminar in Abu Dhabi, a speaker who holds a doctorate in genetics pointed out that, as women in the Middle East are particularly appreciated for their beauty, they pay a lot of attention to their image and devote time to taking care of their appearance. Energy that could have been devoted to acquiring knowledge or training to develop their potential.

These preconceived ideas that women have about themselves, combined with what is expected of them to become managers, have a direct impact on their aspirations and goals. There are, of course, other factors preventing women from taking up management positions, notably when male managers are not convinced by “integrated leadership” (parity in teams). Women need to change their mindsets, abandon their self-restrictive beliefs and remain open to the idea that many of their experiences prepare them to become leaders.

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