Finance & Operations

Do Women Have to Choose Between Being Successful and Being Well-Liked?

April 20, 2012

Why is it that these days, with more women in the workplace, in college (accounting for 60% of students), and bringing home the bacon than ever, they still face demeaning labels and stereotypes when they succeed?

From Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s COO and highest paid exec, to Oprah, even the most influential and powerful women admit they still feel pressure to downplay their accomplishments and ambition. By this point, the idea that assertive or competitive qualities are only positives when associated with men is widely perceived to be incorrect and outdated, but nevertheless, it lingers. In a post for Fast Company, Lydia Dishman shares the thoughts, concerns, difficulties, and triumphs of women speaking out against the “bitch in the boardroom” stereotype (among others). Read Dishman’s full post here.

Related Content from OpenView:

Though women are more present in the workplace than ever, the numbers clearly show a glass ceiling still exists. In this video Sheryl Sandberg discusses why women fail to reach the C-suite. And for discussion on whether or not there is a lack of female entrepreneurs, read this post from the OpenView Blog.