Successful women CEOs/entrepreneurs and corporate executives’ profiles look more like men leaders in their CDR Risk Factors than the middle management women in our original Glass Ceiling research study group. That is a key reason they make it to the top.
While these findings may challenge current thinking, particularly from a feminist’s viewpoint[i], the data is clear and instructive. Women leaders who have inherent risk behaviors that manifest under conflict and adversity that are more like men’s, are those who are more likely to get past the Glass Ceiling. Unfortunately, the reason that the Glass Ceiling has stayed so steadfast for 36 years (since the Pregnancy Act of 1979) is that most women do not fit this Risk profile.
CDR’s original research findings over the past two years went into a completely new horizon regarding the Glass Ceiling. The CDR team found the crux of the problem was that there are significant inherent Risk Factor differences among men and women leaders. The original study group was comprised of 137 randomly selected middle management women leaders and 123 men leaders from 35 companies.
The women in the original study group had statistically significant higher scores as Worriers while the men had traits as Egotists, Upstagers and Rule Breakers[ii] when facing adversity or pressure. It is the Worrier behaviors that take many women out of the running for higher-level executive positions.
The second part of our study just completed on groups of women CEOs (n=20) and corporate executives (n=27), showed that under pressure and conflict, C-Suite women act more like men in their coping strategies or Risk Factors. This has helped them to be successful and transcend the barriers of the Glass Ceiling.
The CEO/Entrepreneurial women study group shared the risks of “Upstager and Rule Breaker” with men leaders. The corporate executive women study group shared the “Upstager” trait with the men leader group, and had a slight Worrier elevation, although not as high as the original women’s leader study group. Interestingly, neither of the women executive or CEO groups had a significant elevation in “Egotist” as is the case with the men leaders. What this means is that women executives are not as arrogant, full of themselves, or excessively confident when the heat is on.
These results translate to women who can assert themselves and fight for resources and have their views heard when facing adversity, rather than moving away in silence to study as a Worrier does. They are seen as more courageous and leader-like than those who go to the over-analyzing or fearful mode. The CEO/Entrepreneurs are also willing to take risks and do what it takes, or to adapt quickly or impulsively, as circumstances dictate, to succeed as depicted by their Rule Breaker scores.
Another crucial aspect of the CDR study shows that cultural perceptions are way “out-of-whack” when it comes to women in leadership roles. Equipped with this new data showing just how wrong perceptions are that negatively impact women, the time has come to dissolve erroneous and damaging stereotypes. Effective strategies can be designed and deployed in organizations to shatter the Glass Ceiling that impedes so many women today. This information needs to be shared and used by senior leadership in organizations to begin shifting these damaging cultural norms.
CDR Assessment Group is now booking presentations and workshops so that your organization can learn why the Glass Ceiling exists and how to begin formulating your internal plans to bring it down. Contact us to schedule a presentation. Our full Glass Ceiling study results will be published in an e-book format and will be available soon.
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[i] Feminist.org suggests that the key reasons for the Glass Ceiling are:
- Job Segregation Runs Rampant
- Old-Boy Network Still Strong
- Sex Discrimination Is Pervasive
- Sexual Harassment Is Widespread
- Enforcement of Anti-Discrimination Laws Is Lax
[ii] CDR Assessment Group, (1998). CDR Leadership Risk Assessment. Tulsa, OK: Author
Referenced Scale Definitions:
- Worrier – This scale represents an unwillingness to make decisions due to fear of failure or criticism. Worriers impede progress, over-study, over-review and slow down performance. Worriers are not decisive, seem to lack courage, and fail to adapt promptly to changing demands.
- Egotist – This scale reveals the leader who: is self-centered, has a sense of entitlement, takes credit for others’ accomplishments, is viewed as a hard-nosed competitor, has a sense of superiority, and expects to be looked up to.
- Upstager – This scale describes leaders with an excessive need to be around others, to be dramatic and histrionic, to dominate meetings and air time, to constantly sell a personal vision and viewpoint, and to demonstrate an inability to go with the tide.
- Rule Breaker – This scale depicts those who ignore rules, test the limits, do what feels good, jeopardize company resources, and who do not think through the consequences of their behavior or decisions.
