The answer is not a simple one.
Corporate culture, individual ignorance/intolerance, and poor HR policies/interventions can be held up as part of the problem. Personally, I think a big contributor is the idea that, for women to succeed in business, we have to be a) Wonder Woman and b) the same as our male counterparts.
Note to audience: bouncy hair does not make you Wonder Woman.
As the Harvard Business Review stated: Organizations inadvertently undermine this process when they advise women to proactively seek leadership roles without also addressing policies and practices that communicate a mismatch between how women are seen and the qualities and experiences people tend to associate with leaders....The context must support a woman’s motivation to lead and also increase the likelihood that others will recognize and encourage her efforts—even when she doesn't look or behave like the current generation of senior executives.
Even publications that are geared toward men (for example - AskMen.com) have tackled this topic - and despite some of the empirical data, women are routinely put down in subtle fashions every day. Talking over us in meetings, grouping us together by addressing us as "ladies" (condescending tone included), and in the case of #nerdgirls, dismissing our ideas as wrong without even considering them.
So why do women allow this to happen - why are we not hearing about radical change and/or discrimination lawsuits out the wazoo for this behavior to exist?
As the creator of FBomb.org hypothesizes in a Forbes.com op-ed piece, "We addressed laws and policy, but failed to acknowledge or alter the psychological factors that prohibit or encourage women to want to lead and which allow society to embrace female leaders and take them seriously."
I'm proud to be part of an (almost) all #nerdgirl group of people who runs two massive corporate systems. Our mandate is to streamline the system while optimizing it for the business - while going a million miles a minute. I'd like to think that between our democracy in leadership, system knowledge, and our consensus building, we run a pretty tight ship. But like the Pantene video, I could be viewed differently than a male counterpart if I disagree with, or assert myself, to internal constituents.
“These qualities combine to create a leadership style that is inclusive, open, consensus building, collaborative and collegial,” according to Herb Greenberg, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Caliper.
For #nerdgirls who are responsible for systems (i.e "Run the World"), it is important to be strong in our leadership. Just because you disagree with someone does not make you a b*tch. In meetings, you have every right to voice your thoughts/concerns. You do not have to "wait" your turn or feel bad that you are disagreeing. As Joseph Nye (former U.S. assistant secretary of defense) hypothesized: Women’s non-hierarchical style and relational skills fit a leadership need in the new world of knowledge-based organizations and groups that men, on average, are less well prepared to meet..... In the past, when women fought their way to the top of organizations, they often had to adopt a “masculine style,” violating the broader social norm of female “niceness.” Now, however, with the information revolution and democratization demanding more participatory leadership, the “feminine style” is becoming a path to more effective leadership. In order to lead successfully, men will not only have to value this style in their women colleagues, but will also have to master the same skills.
#nerdgirls should embrace their leadership and UNITE!
As an FYI, our anthem should be Queen B's "Run the World (Girls)".
