Essay: Myths Associated with Women Leaders

In addition to gender stereotyping, there are myths that define the leadership role and ability of men and women in business. Such myths are the cause of the halt or the slow development of careers and the professions of women at leadership levels. At the same time, myths are some of the motivating factors behind the ability of some women to break glass ceiling and the attainment of leadership roles[1].

One of the myths held about women in business organizations is that they do not desire managerial or leadership positions. Such a view is often upheld from the premise that women are cautious as they apply for leadership positions, especially if they do not meet all the requirements for the job[2]. The tendency has been that men overate themselves while women will underestimate their ability. For this reason, men will aggressively seek roles and jobs that they may even not have all the qualifications for, while women will not apply for a job they are not qualified for and if they qualify they may not aggressively seek it out. The other reason why this myth exists is because of the social network that supports men is different from that for women[3]. Since most men are in leadership positions they will often encourage their friends and colleagues within a social network to apply for jobs.