11571 - Too bold or not bold enough? The leadership trap for women
You may have had these thoughts running through your mind: If I step forward and assert myself, will I be labelled arrogant, abrasive, or difficult? If I hold back and wait my turn, will I be overlooked or dismissed?
This is the leadership trap for women—a double bind where the traits that signal strength in men are penalised in women. It both manifests as personal biases and is embedded in the systems that define who gets hired, promoted, and seen as “leadership material.”