Men and women leaders both have a wide assortment of inherent or personality based Risks that undermine their effectiveness and damage relationships.   Even the most promising or gifted leaders can have their careers thrown off track due to their Risk Factor behaviors running unchecked.

In our recent “Cracking the Code to the Glass Ceiling” study we found some startling, statistically significant, personality gender differences in the CDR Leadership Risk Assessment results. These data showed that under conflict and stress:

  1. Women tended to have higher “Worrier” traits causing them to “Move Away” while their male counterparts tended to resort to the “Moving Against” traits of “Egotist, Upstager & Rule Breakers.” This means that men leaders go into a fight and aggression mode while women pull back in fear and over-analyze.  Obviously, this ineffective coping strategy of women is viewed as lacking in courage and not leader-like. This pulls them out of the running for upward progression.
  2. In the second part of our study just completed (2016), we found that       CEO and corporate executive women who have already made it to the top, have Risk Factors trends more similar to the male study group.  That is why they prevail.  They stay in the thick of things when things are tough.  They fight for resources, airtime, and visibility just like the men do who succeed.

The other key obstruction for women we found is that perceptions of all Risk behaviors of women are judged more harshly then men.  In fact, sometimes these inappropriate Risk behaviors are viewed as positives for men while simultaneously looked at as negative for women.

Below highlights how some examples of how labeling can be far more damaging to the aspiring woman leader’s career:

So, clearly, organizations need to re-examine and assess how the perceptions and labeling of behaviors may contain damaging gender bias.  Also, they need to find ways to develop women as leaders by helping them manage their Risks more productively as Worriers (or for whatever Risks they may have.)  The bottom line is that all leaders and potential leaders, women and men alike, need to be authentically developed based on their unique and individual array of strengths, gifts, gaps, RISKS and needs.

Note:  In the Glass Ceiling study, we compared CDR results to Pew Research Perception which is also outlined in the White Paper and Presentation.  We also share a number of solutions to begin bringing down the Glass Ceiling and perception biases in organizations.  This presentation and workshop is available for organizations and associations.

To request the Glass Ceiling White Paper or to schedule a presentation or workshop, email: cdrinfo@cdrassessmentgroup.com 

For questions or comments on this post, email me at: nparsons@cdrassessmentgroup.com