Gender Stereotypes Plague Women Leaders [Infographic]

By and large, women and men in leadership positions draw from the same sets of skills in order to succeed in their roles. And yet, women leaders often catch flack for acting in certain ways that people consider to be “masculine.”

Leadership development firm Skyline Group International  recently looked into this matter and found that women leaders are perceived to be less effective – whether it’s true or not –when they act in stereotypically “masculine” ways. For example, men in leadership roles often take big risks and receive praise when those risks pay off, whereas women leaders who take big risks are criticized.

Barring a sudden and massive societal shift, women leaders may have to face these discriminations in the workplace for a while longer. Below is an infographic, also from Skyline, that might help. It outlines seven traits in particular that people view negatively in women leaders and offers some advice for how women can avoid these critical perceptions: