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You say sheβs too direct but would you say the same if it came from him?
A male colleague gives instructions - itβs leadership.
A woman gives the same instructions and sheβs βdifficult,β βbossy,β or βneeds to work on her delivery.β
You donβt need to admit it out loud.
But it shows up in the eye-rolls.
The pushback.
The quiet undermining.
I had a client once - female, senior, competent.
She led a team of mostly men.
And almost weekly, one of them would βdouble-checkβ her decisions with the male director above her.
Even though she was right.
Even though it was her project.
Even though she was the one running the show.
And before you think itβs a generational issueβ¦..
the ones pushing back were often younger.
This isnβt just legacy bias.
Itβs learned behaviour that still lives in workplaces today - because we donβt challenge it properly.
I remember being in a senior role early in my career.
And I started noticing something.
β³ My decisions were often echoed louder by male colleagues
β³ Clients would default to βheβ when describing the leader - until I corrected them
(If you know me, I have no issues correcting people, politely of course)
β³ When I gave clear direction, some still looked to a male peer for confirmation
I wasnβt being βchallenged", but what was it??
I was being measured against a standard that didnβt apply to me. And I couldn't control that.
And whoever you are reading this, I want you to ask yourself some questions;β³ Do some men feel undermined being managed by a woman?
β³ Do you interpret female authority as more aggressive?
β³ Are instructions questioned more when they come from her?
Because if the answer is yes, then NEWS FLASH! -
youβre not just slowing her career.
Youβre silently compromising your business decisions, too.
So how do I manage these matters for my clients?β³ Spotting invisible resistance patterns in team dynamics
β³ Breaking the habit of confidence-draining βsecond opinionsβ
β³ Balancing communication styles without silencing women
β³ Re-training teams to respect the role, not the gender
And the outcome?βοΈ Women lead without second-guessing themselves
βοΈ Men follow without ego or fragility
βοΈ And your business runs faster, stronger, and better
As a HR/employment law expert, with expertise in women's workplace rights and issues,
I donβt just call it out - I'm not here to slap you on the wrist.
I recalibrate it, so your leadership culture matches your business goals.
If she has to prove sheβs in charge -
she never really had the authority to begin with.
My calendar is always open for a confidential chat
https://lnkd.in/eSXgRSX5β»οΈ REPOST to help your network lead beyond bias
βΆοΈ Follow Tina S. Rahman for trauma-aware, women-wise HR and leadership
π£ Download the People Pathway Blueprintβyour DIY HR system from hire to exit
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