Catching_Bees’ Post

“Your homework today is to think about what makes a good leader, like really think about it. Does a particular image spring to mind? A particular gender? What traits do you consider to be winning ones? And now think how you’ve arrived at that perception, what stories, experiences and role models have led you to your beliefs. Analyse those, start breaking them down and turning them over in your mind. This is how we uncover and break down our unconscious biases.” Thankyou Lisa (Hogben) Martello from Catching_Bees for your ongoing work raising awareness, calling it out and educating others.. Whilst you daily posts often have a humorous edge to them, they are born from the reality so many of us face.. Changing mindsets by sharing lived experience is so important. It also has the added bonus of letting those that have experienced bias, discrimination and harassment in the workplace know they are not alone.. Happy Volunteers Week..

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐈’𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐒𝐄𝐎 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐲𝐭𝐡! 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞 ≠ 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞, 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 ≠ 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐞 Growing up, most of us believed feminine meant “for girls” and masculine meant “for boys.” But in a recent International Business class, I learned how limiting and wrong this perception really is. Feminism isn’t about gender. It represents qualities like gentleness, openness, and empathy. Masculine? It’s not exclusive to men; it embodies strength, resilience, and assertiveness. Imagine if we all embraced both sides women who are strong yet empathetic, men who are resilient yet gentle. This balance makes us better leaders, friends, and partners. We’re not boxed into “girl traits” or “boy traits”; we’re simply growing and evolving as full, complex people. So let’s break these myths together. Let’s see “feminine” and “masculine” for what they truly are qualities we all can embody. How many of you also thinking the same? 𝑃𝑆: 𝑁𝑒𝑥𝑡 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑠 𝑎 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑡 𝑎𝑠 “𝑡𝑜𝑜 𝑓𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑒” 𝑜𝑟 “𝑡𝑜𝑜 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒,” 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑛’𝑡 𝑜𝑤𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟—𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦’𝑟𝑒 𝑎 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑢𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑙. repost ♻️

This needs to STOP. - Lady Boss - Female CEO It's 2024, yet our language is stuck in the past. Why do we label female CEOs but never male CEOs? This focus on gender crowds out more important business topics and reinforces the notion that female CEOs are anomalies. It's disheartening and needs to change. Let’s ensure discussions about ALL CEOs center on their skills and achievements, not their gender. We must address unconscious bias, reframe our narratives, and stop making gender the headline. Let's celebrate CEOs for their work and vision, not their sex. Oh, and 'female fronted' is NOT a music genre but that's a whole new post! #GenderEquality #Leadership #BreakTheBias #CEO #WomenInBusiness

It’s not about women vs. men ❌ After I shared a post reflecting on a male executive struggling with the idea of a "girly" colleague as a leader, I received this message from a woman:  "I really dig your content but this one rubbed me the wrong way. Can we please stop handling men with kid gloves and call them out for their unacceptable behaviors?" I’m embracing the critique and want to unpack it.  For too long, the burden of change has fallen on those facing underrepresentation and marginalization. Harmful behaviors are often dismissed or tolerated, leaving little room for true inclusion.  And that SUCKS BIG TIME. But when we take a closer look at sexist attitudes and actions, it gets complicated. Because bias is deeply ingrained in all of us: Men, women, non-binary folks, everyone.  And here’s where I believe dialogue becomes a powerful tool. It's where we can plant the seeds of change most effectively.  This doesn’t mean excusing or coddling problematic behavior. It means recognizing that change often requires nuance.  My goal is to create spaces where unconscious dynamics can be uncovered and challenged. Sometimes that means having tough conversations, sometimes that means activating our compassion, and most of the times that means BOTH. This isn’t about women being right and men being wrong! It’s about breaking down the systems and biases that shape ALL OF US, so we can work toward something better.  I hear the frustration in this woman's message and I don’t take it lightly. It’s a valid critique and a reminder of the challenges we face in this work. What’s your experience? Would you prioritize accountability or compassion when working towards change?

How Authentic Empowerment Fights Gender Bias at Work Have you ever felt nervous walking into a meeting, afraid that no one will listen to your ideas? This is what gender bias feels like, and it often holds women back at work. But what if you could break free from this and be confident? That's where authentic empowerment comes in. Real empowerment helps you fight gender bias. Here's how: ✅ Owning Your Voice: When you understand your value and skills, you feel braver about speaking up and sharing your ideas. ✅ Leading with Authenticity: Being true to yourself as a leader helps you earn respect and breaks down stereotypes about women leaders. ✅ Building Your Network: Find people who appreciate your strengths and support your career growth. Real empowerment isn't about trying to be someone else. It's about embracing who you are and not letting bias keep you quiet. Ever felt the sting of gender bias? Share your story in the comments. Let's support each other and break through these barriers together. #authenticempowerment #womenempowerment #womensupportingwomen #womeninbusiness #motivation #midlife #genderbias #career #corporatewomen

Brene Brown is my favorite researcher. She is brilliant on so many levels and if you don’t know who she is, I highly recommend looking her up on YouTube. She said something in an interview recently that I’ve since watched countless times. “The opposite of belonging is fitting in. Fitting in is assessing a group of people and thinking, “Who do I need to be?” “What do I need to say?” “How do I need to act?” … and changing who you are. True belonging never asks us to change who we are, it demands that we be who we are.” I see so many women trying to alter who they are in the workplace. They will dress a certain way, talk a certain way or even censor themselves to fit in. When this happens, it stifles creativity, diversity in thinking, productivity and ultimately results because the focus is on the wrong thing. As leaders, we need to create an environment where all people feel like they matter … where they feel inclusion. It is our responsibility to build a culture where people can show up just as they are … because that’s more than good enough. Life is so much more interesting when we can celebrate our differences.

Picture this: you grow up with men who keep it real with you, straight-up authentic communication. But then you get to the office and suddenly, those same communication styles are labeled as "aggressive" or "too much" when they come from women. What's up with that?! It's the classic double bind of gender roles and leadership. Society tells us that leaders should be assertive and direct, but then penalizes women for exhibiting those exact same qualities. Talk about a lose-lose situation! As women, we're expected to be nurturing, accommodating, and always "nice." But have you ever tried to lead a team or close a deal with nothing but a sweet smile and a gentle tone? Good luck with that. The truth is, authenticity looks different for everyone. And it's time we start embracing and celebrating those differences instead of trying to fit everyone into the same narrow box of what's considered "acceptable" communication. But here's the plot twist: prescribing a specific identity to a role hurts everyone, not just women. Yep, even men suffer when we limit the range of acceptable behaviors and communication styles based on gender. It's a trap that keeps us all stuck in outdated, harmful stereotypes. So here's my challenge to you: start paying attention to how you perceive and respond to communication styles across genders. Are you holding women to a different standard than men? Are you allowing space for diverse forms of authentic expression? It's not easy to unlearn these ingrained biases, but it's so important for creating inclusive, equitable workplaces. And hey, if we can't laugh at the absurdity of these double standards, we'll cry - so let's choose laughter, shall we? For more real talk on navigating authenticity, gender, and leadership in the workplace, check out the full episode on my YouTube channel (https://buff.ly/4bE69KV ). Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to aggressively message my brothers in the family group chat.... Just kidding... or am I? 😉 Drop a comment and let me know your thoughts on this wild ride of a topic! #gender #authenticity #leadership #communication #dei Raquel Walsh

"There is always an excuse masquerading as a reason given for a woman about why she's not quite right for any role," says Leanne Dzubinski PhD, talking about the updated research she's undertaken with Amy Diehl, PhD and Amber Stephenson and published in the peer-reviewed Human Resource Development Quarterly. The research indicates 30 types of personal identity factors used to discriminate against women leaders. As women, we're excluded from promotion because we're too young and inexperienced... or because we're too old and overqualified. We have children so we can't be relied upon. Or we don't have children, so we're not warm and approachable. We have the wrong accent or the wrong body size or the wrong coloured skin or the wrong marital status or the wrong sexual orientation. We're too bossy. Or not assertive enough. We're too rigid. Or too flexible. Too available? Too unavailable? Too loud? Too invisible? Too grim? Too friendly? Too busy for coffee meetings? Too lacking in networks? Research suggestions practically ANY personal characteristic can be proclaimed problematic for a woman leader, to question her competence and suitability for leadership. And women can be as judgemental of other women as men are. "It used to be the argument that as soon as you get more women in, it would fix itself — it's not fixing itself," says Dr Dzubinski. That's partly because women have grown up in a sexist world and internalised the sexism, and partly because women observe only a few places made available at tables for women and assume the only way to ascend into a leadership role is if another woman loses her spot. Whichever "too" you've been told you are, chances are if you're a woman in leadership, you've been told you have the problem or you are the problem. This research tells us you haven't and you're not. But having been told this so often and for so long, it could be hard for you to shift that belief, and hard to make the difference you want to make in a world that tells you you're either "too" or "not enough". There are some terrific tools and strategies available to help, and I'd love to share them with you. If you'd like to explore how we can work together to unpack some of this gaslighting and have you stand more powerfully in just how good you are, book a call with me. The link's in my bio. Every good wish, Karyn #womeninleadership #executivewomen #executivecoaching #gaslighting --------- 👋 I'm Karyn Brinkley, trusted coach and confidante of executive women with purpose and commitment and a craving to use their power for good. What will I do for you? As your confidante I listen closely and supportively and safely. As your coach, I remind you who you are and what you care about, and help you stand rock-steady in your power. If you'd love to use the power you have more effectively, let's connect! 📨 Use the link in my profile to arrange a zoom call 🤝 Connect with me today 💡 Follow me for daily insights

Some feedback on your feedback There's going to be a moment in your career when you have to provide #feedback to someone. Say your goal is to help them perform better, what approach would you chose: #candor, #kindness, or #positivity? Tricky question. According to our colleague Lizzie Baily Wolf and her co-authors Lily Jampol, Ph.D. and Aneeta Rattan, when #managers evaluate their employees, they tend to be kinder towards women. There isn't any reason for this, other than women being thought of as stereotypically warmer and more communal, and therefore benefiting from kinder feedback. Which is not necessarily the case, since kindness coupled with less candor may inhibit women's ability to learn and #perform. Their recommendation was not to drop kindness altogether, but to drop gendered #assumptions about who does and doesn't benefit from kindness. More generally, our colleague Nadav Klein (we're obsessed with kindness at INSEAD) shared insights on "dosing" kindness in business settings. Here's another reason why gendered feedback matters. In this recent article published in the Academy of Management, Brianna Caza, Emily Heaphy, Laura Morgan Roberts and Gretchen Spreitzer show that when pushed to elicit our "Best Self-Portrait" in the workplace, we do so along gender lines - women tend to portray themselves as better #connectors and men as better #leaders. While the article doesn't pinpoint reasons for gender differences in positive self-concepts, getting gendered feedback from your manager could be one explanation. The study brings another insight. A simple #intervention where participants obtain positive feedback from 10-20 peers largely diminished subsequent patterns of gendered self-concepts. How this worked is that the intervention pushed both men and women to gain a #broader perspective on their best-self, as opposed to focusing on single (and stereotypical) attributes. Obviously, we're not going to ask managers to make "Best Self Portraits" for each of their employees (well..?) but the study does highlight new ways managers could think about positive feedback. Links to the research below 👇 https://lnkd.in/eSkDjA7d https://lnkd.in/efzvBS4e Kaisa Snellman Marie Drunat Daisy Pollenne Kamil Stroński

When you get a leadership position it may be a challenge to be taken seriously by the opposite sex. It shouldn't be that way, but sometimes it can be. Kate Suslava, CPA, CFA, PhD joined me to chat about how to lead a team and navigate the gender differences that may arise. Kate shared how the research shows that women speak less in a business meeting than a man. Is that happening in your organization? Kate shared how to "interrupt" your personal biases in order to communicate more effectively. To listen to the entire interview, check out the links below. 👇 👇 👇 #genderbias #speakingupinmeetings #womenleaders