Feature Article - October 2008

An Inconvenient Truth for Women in Business:

Reflections on Clinton, Palin and a very public peek at an everyday problem

                                                                                                                                                  by Tom Davidson

Ask any cross-section of people for their definition of a leader, and you will get a familiar list of attributes like confident, charismatic, decisive, and driven, just to name a few.  Now ask that same group if they would modify their list for women in management positions. 

If they were being totally honest – and that’s a big “if” – you would get a less familiar and even shocking answer.  Of course they should be confident to a point but much more self-effacing and never arrogant, charismatic for sure but not so charming that they attract too much attention or appear narcissistic, decisive to a degree but not without being inclusive and never rigid in their views, and driven to the extent that they don’t hamper anyone else’s progress or appear too competitive.

Outraged?  Good.  Don’t believe me?  Fine. Think this is being overly dramatic to make a tired point?  Not so fast.  Take a hard look at the two women running for the highest offices in the land during the 2008 political campaign.  Senator Hillary Clinton has been regularly characterized as “hard-nosed,” “icy” and even “shrill,” while Governor Sarah Palin has been readily portrayed as “too pretty,” “a poor mother” and “over her head.” 

Coincidence?  I don’t think so.

Women walk a very fine line in business, including how they look, what they say, and how they act, whereas men are given wide latitude on the same scales. 

Disheveled men, for example, are usually given a pass for their appearance.  There’s no significant need for them to be particularly discerning in their choice of clothing, accessories, or overall image.   The dean’s rumpled suit, the congressman’s flyaway hair, and the executive’s gaudy jewelry are all taken in stride as some natural symbol of their personality or role.  These features can even add to their persona, making them more memorably eccentric, professorial, hard working, or otherwise lovable.   Of course, if a gentleman wants to cultivate a finer-tuned image, then he has to make better decisions, but the woman executive has to be much more careful and strategic every single day.

If their hair is up, down or sideways, it all has meaning.  If their clothing is too tight, high, open, colorful, flowing or bunched up, you know what that means!  If their jewelry isn’t just so, their shoes don’t have the right heel for the occasion or their makeup is too heavy, even other women have a field day.  Everything seems to have added meaning for the everyday leader and the political powerhouses.

“Let’s Chat” and Make Cookies

Remember when Clinton had to “soften” her image to become more appealing to the voters?  Her assertiveness, decisiveness, and firm positions (observations that would be complimentary to most men in leadership capacities) apparently needed to be dialed back a few notches.  The stereotypical assumption being that a woman should not be too tough, otherwise she might be called a b---- and thus dismissed by both genders. 

This line of thinking apparently led to the online repartee featuring Senator Clinton’s request to having a “chat” with the public, the suddenly emotional answers to interview questions, and the over-zealous laughter much maligned on Saturday Night Live.  Even the adjustment itself had a backlash, seen next as trying too hard to be liked rather than being authentic.  Apparently, she couldn’t win our collective approval either way, which is exactly my point.

Let's Play Hockey and Hunt Wolves

What about Governor Palin, who seems to have had the opposite problem from the start?  Surely you’ll recall the parodies of her being a beauty pageant contestant, the photo of a young man at a political rally framed provocatively between her bare legs, and the celebrity ripping of her accent, lexicon, and flute-playing hobby.  How likely would these parodies be if the candidate were a man? 

I seem to recall President Bill Clinton’s Southern accent and down-home storytelling as being quaint and endearing qualities, but Governor Palin’s every utterance seems to rile her detractors, just by its very pitch and tonal quality.  She was even likened to a stewardess going up against the most notorious global terrorists, thus exposing the assumption that someone that “pretty” can’t possibly be tough-minded or effective as a leader. 

Could this be the reason she is widely portrayed by her supporters as also being a rugged outdoorswoman, hunter, and athlete?  Might this not counter the opposite stereotype (i.e., women managers can’t be too feminine otherwise they’ll be seen as too soft)?  As happened for Senator Clinton, could there be a similar backlash from those who don’t like a woman who isn’t “looking after her family the way she is supposed to?” 

Business examples abound as well, but none are this visible or dramatic.  For example, before the final demise of Lehman Brothers, Chief Financial Officer Erin Callan was featured in the Wall Street Journal, not so much for her deft leadership during a crisis as for her fetching and high fashion attire.  Yet Donald Trump can boast like Rush Limbaugh and comb his hair like Bozo the Clown, without much more than a wink, a nod, and a pat on the back. 

Looking back and lurching forward

The current political cycle has been a magnified microcosm of the very dilemma faced by most women leaders in business today.  The old stereotypes, supposed to have been left in the ‘60s, are very much alive and well, and both genders are responsible. 

What’s the solution?  Be aware of your own biases and learn to control them.  Judge men and women leaders by the same standards of performance.  Point out unfair characterizations and irrelevant information when you see them.  Don’t propagate the problem with silent assent.  Share this article with others so that the next political cycle and business quarter are less foolishly tarnished and much more productive.  As a leader, it’s your job.

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