Tough at the top: Leadership and gender
06/20/2023
Are virtues and character strengths universal? Recent research highlights subtle but consistent gender differences in the importance attributed to character traits in leadership. Plus, a gender bias in the assessment of these characteristics. With increasing recognition of the need for diversity in organizations – especially in terms of leadership – these results pose significant questions about achieving gender balance and tackling wider diversity issues.
Despite progress in recent years, women are still dramatically underrepresented in corporate leadership roles. According to McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace 2022 report, , only one in four C-suite leaders in the USA, such as Chief Executive or Chief Financial Officer, is a woman. And with just 87 women promoted to entry-level management positions for every 100 men, gender equality is far from a reality.
Why is this? What are the barriers and perceptions that are restricting women’s progress? And are there implications for other issues of diversity? One factor could be character traits and virtues associated with leadership and how they are perceived.