Women are poor advocates for themselves, according to two high-powered women in the recent edition of The Atlantic magazine.
In general, we tend to underestimate our abilities and give an even worse impression to others.
The result is a lot of missed opportunities.
Authors Claire Shipman and Katty Kay are TV journalists who have made it to the big time. Shipman is a reporter for ABC News; Kay is anchor of BBC World News America. In 2009 they cowrote the book, “Womenomics,” a look at the changing roles of women in today’s world.
In their research they discovered a disconcerting commonality among even successful women. To a one, they have had to overcome serious doubts of their abilities and attributed a good share of their success to luck, despite the fact that many have graduated at the top of their class, discovered groundbreaking research, or landed lucrative business deals.
Men, on the other hand, are, in general, prone to exaggerate their abilities, but, to their credit, not on a conscious level.
Seems part of the reason women hold back while men forge ahead is in our DNA. A male’s high level of testosterone — 10 times that of a female’s — makes them physically stronger and faster, which society frequently translates to other domains. Testosterone also fuels a man’s impulse to engage in what women consider risky behavior, which can have its downsides. A surgeon who likes to take risks isn’t exactly who you want holding the knife.
Females, on the other hand, are influenced more by estrogen, a hormone that encourages bonding and connection, great traits for the nursery, but not so impressive in the boardroom.
TO PRESENT a more confident impression, the authors encourage women to take some cues from men, including:
• Don’t try for perfection. You’ll never get there and the feeling you can’t try for a position unless you meet every qualification will keep you from applying in the first place. A stereotypical woman won’t sign up to run a half-marathon unless she’s got the 13 miles and more easily under her belt. A man, on the other hand, will “go for it,” even though he’s comfortable running only half the distance, figuring he can muscle through the remainder. He gets an A for effort.
• Don’t underestimate your abilities because that can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. A person’s abilities are perceived much as they are projected. Even when test scores are identical, women typically underestimate their performance, while men overestimate. That lack of confidence not only keeps women from pursuing opportunities but also leads others to believe they aren’t as capable as their male counterparts.
Confidence, the article says, is every bit as important as competence because it helps push us to excel at higher and higher levels.
Despite the article’s over-generalizations, it serves as a lesson for women to speak up or be willing to take a back seat.
— Susan Lynn
