Are you too…?

Which “too” are you?

Too old? Too young?
Too bossy? Too backward-in-coming-forward?
Too qualified? Too inexperienced?
Too nurturing? Too aggressive?
Too rigid? Too flexible?
Too available? Too unavailable?
Too loud? Too invisible?
Too grim? Too friendly?
Too busy for coffee meetings? Too lacking in networks?

New research from Amy Diehl, PhD, Leanne M. Dzubinski, PhD, and Amber L. Stephenson PhD reveals that practically ANY characteristic can be proclaimed problematic for a woman leader, to question her competence and suitability for leadership.

They write:
“Women are criticized so often and on so many things that they are acculturated to receiving such disparagement, taking it seriously, and working to make improvements. And any individual woman may take it personally, believing the criticism directed at her to be warranted.

“But our research reveals that the problem lies elsewhere. Virtually any characteristic can be leveraged against a woman in a discriminatory fashion. Such criticisms often relate to facets of women’s identity in an overt or subtle way, such as race, age, parental status, attractiveness, and physical ability.”

Their article is well worth reading in full: https://lnkd.in/gU5BqVdV

Whichever “too” you’ve been told you are, chances are if you’re a woman in leadership, you’ve been told you have the problem or you are the problem. This research tells us you haven’t and you’re not.

But having been told this so often and for so long, it could be hard for you to shift that belief, and hard to make the difference you want to make in a world that tells you you’re “too” and therefore not enough.

There are some terrific tools and strategies available to help, and I’d love to share them with you. Drop me a line if you’d like to explore how we can work together to unpack some of this gaslighting and have you stand more powerfully in just how good you are.

Every good wish,
Karyn