Empowering Women Leaders: Bridging the Confidence Gap

Introduction:

In recent studies have shown, women make up almost half of the employees in the workforce but only 25% of women hold executive positions and only 29% of management positions. If we want to close the Women leadership representation gap, we must first close the Women leadership confidence gap.

Despite significant strides in gender equality, a notable confidence gap persists between men and women in leadership roles.

This gap is affecting individual women striving to advance in their careers and it is also impacting organizations as they are missing out the full potential of diverse leadership.

Throughout the first half of my 25-year IT career, I was repeatedly told to prove my worth for promotion, despite consistently excellent performance reviews. This frequent undermining of my abilities significantly impacted my confidence, leading me to believe I should passively wait my turn. Rebuilding my confidence took considerable time and effort, with support of invaluable mentorship.

In this article, we will explore how embracing women leaders and actively working to bridge the confidence gap can lead to more inclusive and effective leadership in all sectors.

What is Confidence Gap?

The confidence gap refers to the disparity between men and women in how they perceive their abilities and effectiveness as leaders. Research consistently shows that even highly qualified women often underestimate their capabilities, while their male counterparts may overestimate theirs. This discrepancy can influence career trajectories, as confidence is crucial for taking on new challenges and advancing to higher roles.

Three Key Areas where the Women’s Leadership Confidence Gap Manifests:

1)   Applying for Leadership Positions:

Men often apply for roles when they meet just 60% of the qualifications, in contrast to women, who usually wait until they meet all requirements. Encouraging women to apply sooner can help close this part of the confidence gap.

2)   Voicing Opinions in Meetings:

Women are significantly less likely to speak up in meetings where they are outnumbered, 75% less, and they experience more interruptions. Implementing assertiveness training and structured meeting protocols that ensure equitable participation can address this issue.

3)   Perfection Expectations:

Women frequently feel the need to deliver flawless queries and contributions. Cultivating a workplace culture that prioritizes progress and learning over perfection can reduce this pressure.

Root causes of Confidence Gap

1)   The Impact of Societal and Cultural Norms:

From a young age, societal and cultural norms shape girls and boys differently. Girls often receive encouragement that emphasizes appearance and nurturing roles, such as prioritizing motherhood, while boys are more likely to be praised for intelligence, bravery, and sports achievements. These messages can lead to adult behaviors where women might hesitate to assert themselves, speak up, or pursue leadership roles.

In addition, even highly successful professional women frequently face questions about family plans, subtly undermining their career accomplishments compared to their male counterparts.

2)   Organizational Bias:

There are the gender stereotypes. Men feel women are more talkative, hence women being interrupted 33% more. Women are less ambitious with their career because of their role in the family requires more of their attention. That is not true but that causes women to be less considered for a promotion vs male counterpart.

Microaggression also has lasting impact. The subtle comments and actions signal disrespect cause acute stress and negatively impact women’s confidence, their career, and health.

In my experience, when I confidently voiced my opinions in front of male colleagues, I was often told to "calm down," and my comments were dismissed.

3)   Women often lack Self-promotion:

The confidence gap often widens because women may not fully acknowledge their own accomplishments. Many women tend to self-promote less, partly due to experiencing negative responses when they attempt to highlight their achievements. Also, women leaders frequently celebrate their team's successes while downplaying their own contributions, further minimizing their visible impact

Organizational structures and policies can inadvertently perpetuate the confidence gap. The lack of female role models in top positions has affected the confidence gap.

The significant drop of women representation through the pipeline from 48% at Entry level to 25% in C-Suite indicates progressively more % of men are promoted at each level is key.

Gender bias in evaluations, and unequal growth opportunities can all undermine women's confidence in their leadership potential.

Addressing these issues requires conscious organizational efforts to create equitable environments that support women’s advancement.

Strategies to Bridge the Confidence Gap

1)   Boosting Self awareness and Confidence

To overcome limiting beliefs, women should actively recognize and celebrate their achievements, building self-confidence like training muscle through practice.

This can start by practicing accomplishment journaling to reflect daily/weekly on personal and professional successes. V

ocalize these achievements in relevant settings help to normalize self-promotion.

Also, shifting focus from perfectionism to continuous improvement can alleviate the pressure of external judgments, paving the way for career advancement.

This approach encourages personal growth and a more supportive professional environment.

2) Enhancing Leadership through Targeted Training:

Targeted leadership development programs designed to build critical skills and self-assurance can help women prepare for and thrive in leadership roles.

Women should be encouraged to discover and refine their unique communication styles and leadership methods, recognizing these as valuable organizational assets.

By embracing diversity and empowering women across all levels, not only at the top, then organizations can fully leverage the benefits of different perspectives and experiences to drive collective success.

3) Building a Supportive Network for Career Advancement:

Cultivate a supportive network both inside and outside of organization is crucial for women’s career development. Strong mentorship programs offer guidance, feedback, and support helping women navigate their career paths effectively.

Sponsorship is equally important, where high-level advocates champion a woman’s advancement.

Such support can significantly influence career progression, ensuring women’s talents are recognized and advancement opportunities are maximized at every level of the organization.

Conclusion:

Bridging the confidence gap is not just about empowering individual women but about enhancing the capabilities of teams and the performance of entire organizations.

By embracing women leaders and implementing strategies to support their growth, companies can unlock a wealth of untapped potential that can propel them to new heights of success. It is incumbent upon both individuals and organizations to commit to these changes, creating a business culture where everyone, regardless of gender, can confidently lead and succeed.

Organizations with diverse leadership teams tend to perform better on various fronts, including profitability, creativity, and employee satisfaction. Embracing women leaders and helping to bridge the confidence gap not only fosters fairness but also drives organizational success.

What would you do now to start closing the women leadership confidence gap?
Share your experience and your thoughts in comments below.