Female executive
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Women in leadership face a unique challenge called the 'double bind'. This problem has existed for decades but has gone mostly unnoticed because of how subtle leadership biases can be. Although male and female leaders display identical leadership qualities, both men and women judge female leaders differently because of the double bind.

This complex issue occurs because of societal conditioning. Gender stereotypes–such as think leader, think male and men take charge, and women take care are subconscious beliefs that are difficult for society to let go of. As a result, women still experience different challenges to men when it comes to entering leadership or being promoted to more senior positions. While many believe this issue will be solved with time, the glacial rate of change requires intentional interventions, which are critical for ensuring companies, governments, and individuals melt the male bias they unknowingly possess and unlock a greater pool of leadership talent.

The double bind is a nuanced issue, created by millenia of men being in charge. The problem is so deeply baked into society that both men and women perceive female leaders in a light that requires them to take charge as leaders and to take care as women. A recent study revealed that bias appears in several ways, but mitigation efforts usually only focus on viewing bias, or the way people describe an individual's traits. This leads to the problem in which identical leadership behaviors are valued differently in men and women – this is known as value bias.

Further research has shown that despite ongoing efforts to increase female representation in leadership the double bind still persists. The World Economic Forum revealed that in the last 6 years in 155 countries, women moving into leadership only increased from 33.3% in 2016 to 36.9% in 2022. And the double bind will definitely be a feature of how they are selected, and whether they are promoted. The research states: "While hiring more women at the entry-level is an important component of closing gender gaps in leadership, it is not fully sufficient."

The double bind not only affects women on a personal level. This 'leaky leadership pipeline' is a major contributor to why organizations lack diversely experienced leaders for senior roles. McKinsey's Women in the Workplace 2023 report shatters misconceptions about what keeps women from senior leadership. For nine years in a row, the biggest obstacle to entering senior roles occurs when women need to be promoted to manager. As a result, women–and particularly those of color–fall behind male peers and fail to catch up.

This 'broken rung' women face contributes to gender disparities that only increase from manager to C-suite roles. According to research, 52% of entry-level employees are men, and 71% of C-suite executives. Compared to women who represent 48% at the entry-level, only 28% of C-suite leaders are female. The more senior women become within an organization, the stronger the double bind effect is.

While moves to make entry-level hiring more equitable have been initiated, the double bind needs to be addressed to reduce the pushback female leaders receive when trying to fulfill their professional expectations. The more women we have in leadership, the faster male-leaning biases will atrophy. Providing women with the opportunity to flourish in leadership roles will help thaw the stereotypes about leadership and women and improve organizational performance by ensuring businesses have all the leadership talent they need at the table.

In leadership roles, men are expected to display dominance and competence while women should convey friendliness and emotional sensitivity. These expectations force women to 'play nice' to appeal to their superiors and befriend subordinates. Women's career trajectories are severely impacted by this double bind. Instead of being able to display classic leadership traits, women have to balance their leadership expectations and the gender expectations society has of them.

A female CEO who worked for Big Tech shared her experience, noting that workers either criticized her for not being competent enough or being too mean. These two extremes highlight the need for all leaders to take charge and take care, thereby disproving gender stereotypes and reinforcing a more effective leadership culture.

Leadership coach Penny de Valk who has experienced and managed the double bind herself as a senior leader, utilizes her leadership development expertise to shift the double bind discussion away from 'fixing women'. In her opinion, the challenges of the double bind for women leaders are very real, but not insurmountable.

To ensure that women can lead fulfilling careers in leadership without experiencing burnout, or walking away, Penny suggests addressing the double bind directly through awareness and leadership development. For example, Penny believes how women establish their reputation, how they manage their confidence and exercise their authority and influence, needs to be practiced through the lens of the double bind, while society is in its current transitional period.

Organizations are redesigning promotional practices, performance evaluations, and manager behavior and language to become gender-neutral. However, the system is taking a long time to change, and women will only receive long-term benefits once the double bind is addressed. If left unaddressed, the broken rung, and the double bind, will continue to prevent women from increasing their presence in leadership.

"I believe we need to support the management of the double bind because the sooner we can normalize women in leadership, the faster the default to male biases will atrophy," says Penny de Valk. "However, this takes time and effort, which is why I encourage female leaders to be aware of the double bind and become skillful in managing it. By embracing the role of being the icebreaker generation, we can break up the stereotypes and make female leaders in the next generation more likely to receive the opportunities they deserve."

If female leaders and organizations take steps to intentionally manage the double bind, businesses and future generations of women will reap the benefits. And in doing so, this can redefine what amazing leadership looks like. Where men and women are equally skilled at taking charge and taking care.