Rosa Connor’s Post

What if the very way we measure and reward leadership in the workplace is causing us to miss out on a significant portion of our talent's potential? Research shows that the way men and women express power is influenced by brain chemistry, with testosterone driving competition in men and oxytocin fostering #collaboration in women. Yet, many workplaces reward behaviors aligned with the competitive model, overlooking collaborative strengths, especially from #femaleleaders. At this pivot point in history, organizations have a unique opportunity to embrace radical #diversity—not just in gender, but in how different brains function under pressure and in teams. By understanding these differences, businesses can enhance innovation, resolve conflicts more effectively, and maximize #performance. Read more 👇

The article discusses how women's confidence is often weaponized against them in professional settings. Key lessons include recognizing that self-assured behavior in women can be unfairly judged, leading to labels like "bossy" or "aggressive." This bias can hinder career advancement and affect mental health. The takeaway is the need to challenge these biases and support women in expressing confidence without fear of negative repercussions. Unlocking the true potential of women in the workplace means recognizing and challenging the biases against confident behavior. Take Action Today: Reflect on your own confidence journey. How can you cultivate and express confidence authentically? Share your insights and join the conversation to empower women leaders everywhere. 💪🌟 #WomenInLeadership #Confidence #WomenInTech #GenderEquality

♀ Neurodivergent Women Make Great Leaders. "A loss of female leadership is a loss for all 📉 Businesses who fail to pay attention to their neurodivergent female coworkers are missing out on some important revenue. Companies can lose employees if they’re unwilling to be accommodating and inclusive. This high turnover rate would end up costing them more money hiring and training new employees." 🔆If you want to know more about neurodiversity in women, why neurodiverse women are great leaders and learn how to reduce the turn over of these women, please read the article posted below. There are a lot of these women out there with great leadership skills (especially in the tech-space). Let's make sure we'll have a lot more neurodiverse female leaders in the future! (Neurodivergent refers to individuals whose neurological development and functioning differ from what is typically expected, encompassing conditions such as autism, ADHD, OCD, and other cognitive variations). Via: @naheedchowdhry #neurodiversity #womeninleadership #womenintech #WomenWhoLead https://lnkd.in/dS5pNDyC

A great article on neurodiversity in women leadership. What do Elon Musk and Richard Branson have in common? Aside from being extremely wealthy male CEOs, both are neurodivergent and partly attribute their success to their unique brain functions. A recent study shows almost 92% of neurodivergent women experience bias in the workplace, which in turn results in less women coming forth and admitting their disability for fear of retaliation or prejudices. Sometimes, hitting the pause button, asking for accommodations or even having candid conversations regarding opportunities for grace can open lines of communication. Sharing diagnoses can foster understanding during conversations that can make us anxious can go a long way toward limiting those biases. A great quote from the article... "For example, a common trait for autism is being very direct in communication, which is lauded in men. But if a woman is being frank and assertive she is more likely to be perceived as bad-tempered and rude." We don't always mean to be this way.. pinky promise. Our brains just work differently.

A few years ago, I completed an MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London. It profoundly impacted the way I view the world, as I satiated my curiosity for the human experience, manoeuvring in and out of deep rabbit holes of research. When selecting my thesis topic, I decided on women in leadership. I was profoundly curious about the reasons behind the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles. So, with a scientific lens and the very broad question of ‘How can we close the gender gap in leadership’, I started digging.  There is a mammoth amount of research making it clear that women face numerous challenges in pursuing leadership roles, including pervasive gender stereotypes, workplace discrimination, limited opportunities for advancement, challenges in achieving life balance especially in motherhood, unconscious biases, and societal expectations that favour traditional gender roles. However, the curious part was that I kept meeting women that could not at all relate. The more women I spoke to and the more studies I read, the more I realised that these women were the anomaly; most of them could very much relate to these challenges as a real barrier for breaking into leadership positions, hindering the realisation of their full potential. This made me even more perplexed. And then I discovered stereotype threat! This was a pivotal ‘mic drop’ moment. Stay with me... So, stereotype threat is a psychological phenomenon where individuals experience anxiety or concern about confirming negative stereotypes associated with a group they belong to (in this case the female gender). In the context of gender, stereotype threat can negatively affect women's performance in domains traditionally associated with men, such as (you guessed it) leadership(!) by reinforcing societal beliefs about gender roles and capabilities. When women perceive that their abilities may be judged through the lens of stereotypes, it can lead to self-doubt, lower aspirations, reduced confidence, and diminished motivation to pursue leadership opportunities (activate the leaking pipeline!!). Stereotype threat perpetuates a cycle of inequality by reinforcing negative stereotypes and limiting women's confidence and agency. Now an interesting side note is that there is a small percentage (around 10%) of women who seem to be immune to stereotype threat. This could explain why some women don’t understand what all the fuss is about and that we should just get on with it. However, the research seems to indicate that stereotype threat matters! In the spirit of International Women’s Day (or month – because let’s face it a day is simply not enough) we will explore this topic in more detail and consider some evidence-based actions that can bring about change. One of my hopes for the future is to see both men and women being fully accepted as leaders while being able to stay authentically themselves. #stereotypethreat #womeninleadership #genderbalance #IWD2024

This post really resonates with me. As someone dedicated to empowering women, especially in non-traditional fields, it's clear that we need to create more spaces and opportunities for women to thrive. Representation matters. Every young girl deserves to see herself reflected in the highest echelons of society, whether it's in space, the boardroom, or the sports field. It's time to break down barriers and challenge the status quo. Let's invest in female founders, support inclusive work environments, and elect leaders who bring diverse perspectives. Together, we can build a future where all genders have equal opportunities to succeed. To every girl out there dreaming big: the sky is not the limit—it's just the beginning. Let's rise together.

Absolutely smashing words, it’s so tiring to keep explaining this sometimes. As many don’t ’notice it’ or don’t ‘feel’ the nuances that are systemic of much greater issues. Its so refreshing to read the words from a man that gets it on a deeper level, identifying systemic solutions to support, rather than individuals to continue to fight against the invisible and visable barriers. How do we spread this realisation? How do men get support to articulate this and feel this without having daughters? How do we stop the continuing cycle? #equity #equality #women #femaleleadership #accountability

Are generative AI models making things up when they depict CEOs, developers and astronauts as mostly men? Or is it that we simply cannot handle the reality that these AI models mirror back to us?   Are generative AI models biased toward depicting Middle Eastern men the same way Hollywood and other media outlets have depicted us for decades? Or is it simply that we cannot handle how it mirrors dominant narratives in most Western countries?   Are generative AI models biased or do most of our stories and most of our footage depict "family" and relationships as traditional heteronormative ones?   There's no reason to expect AI-models that use the data we feed them to be better than the dataset we feed them. There's no reason to expect large language models—that use current and historical data—to give us another depiction of humanity than what the data contains.   We anthropomorphize these models, we call them biased, as if they just made up everything (granted, mostly men have fed them).   Why are there so few actual female astronauts in the world? Why is a generation of Middle Eastern parents rarely ever heard or seen other than in times of conflict or violence? Why are they not depicted as normal parents like those of my Caucasian friends?   Why did my sister—despite being ten years younger than me and raised in a Sweden that prides itself in equality—have to learn everything about heteronormative sexuality in school, but nothing about her own?   There is a global gender gap. On top of this, we do not depict different skin colours the same, we do not depict same sex couples the same. You may not experience it in your household, you may not feel it. And that is a problem. We miss our own blind spots.   Go back a few years and watch some of the cartoons I grew up watching. Actually, no need to go back in time, just watch how differently we react to different bodies becoming victims of war, violence, starvation, or environmental catastrophes.   As long as it looks like this, it is a bit ridiculous to expect AI models—made and instructed by human data, a dominant media narrative, and Silicon Valley—to do better than we ourselves do.   AI models already hallucinate. We can join the hallucination party by acting as if we are not biased, while thinking they are. As if our narrative is neutral and objective, and LLMs just make up a racist, sexist, ableist, ageist, and a you-name-it narrative…   Or perhaps we could use this opportunity to take a look at ourselves and our environments. Does your workplace represent your ideal worldview? Is there a chance there are not enough women there, or that it does not in other ways reflect the society you live in?   Do we want AI models to play pretend, or are we all just hallucinating that the world is a perfect place for all? Should we pretend that women have been on the moon too? And are generative AI models the only ones with work to do in order not to be biased?

So if male allyship is such a good and important thing to do, why aren't more men practicing it? There are (as we say at Amazon) headwinds... (credit to Natalie White) pt 2 First, skepticism from women. "J" is one of the women I've worked to sponsor and mentor at Amazon. "J" told me that my early attempts to help made her wonder "what does he want from me?" Sadly, men in the workplace have given valid reasons for this doubt: coming on to women, inappropriate statements, passive and active sexism, taking credit for ideas, and micro-aggressions galore. It's a fair concern to be prepared for - just keep trying in different ways! I convinced "J" of my positive intent through my actions and I've learned a ton as a result! Second, career risk of allies being seen as less capable. Research from 2018 by Bosak found that men who acted as allies - more collaboratively were seen as less masculine - and therefore less competent. This perspective of "being less competent" was shared by men AND women from the study. The research is grounded in data, but my experience as an ally has been different - I've been recognized for being an ally and the benefits of a more diverse, supportive, and inclusive organization have contributed to my career. Third, "bias as blame" - or people feel bad (and therefore feel bad about you) when you highlight bias in order to change it. Bias is a common and unfortunate byproduct of learning by pattern-matching - you match the wrong pattern: "women are less assertive thus less good at driving results" instead of "women are often less visibly assertive thus drive results in different ways." But our immediate reaction as humans is to reject "feeling bad" when someone points out our bias. We can mitigate this risk by asking questions instead of making statements: "What did you mean by that? How does that relate to whether she can perform at the next level?" Or simply "why?" Finally, a false belief in a "zero sum" gender environment. 28% of men in a 2020 Pew Research study said that women's gains in the workplace have come at men's expense. It's not hard to find this belief in our culture, and I appreciate that a more equitable environment may feel like a loss of privilege - but it's still wrong. Watch Ted Kimmel's TED talk about why gender equality is good for men - he does this topic far more justice than I can. For yourself, consider whether every male hire would be an "anti-diversity hire" before you talk about a woman or non-binary hire as a "diversity hire." Hint - neither is accurate. There are a limited number of roles when hiring, so hire the best candidate - but make sure you're looking for the best instead of offering an opportunity to a person you already know (who is more likely than not - male). The same study showed that men who don't feel ownership of gender issues in their workplace will take action when "increasing gender equity is framed by company leaders as a collective imperative." At Amazon at least, it is.

"Who was the first woman on the moon, Dad?" Having to tell her "no woman" broke my heart. I didn't understand this invisible pain women experience until I had daughters. Most men don't understand what it is to live in a world where you have so few role models. And if you're a woman and queer or a POC, the role models are even fewer. Sometimes non-existent. Men don't consider the amount of willpower it takes to imagine yourself in places where women don't exist or are only token hires. All men see is men in the places they want to be. Women are 51 percent of the population. They are the only majority in the world treated like a minority. POTUS? No woman yet. Head of NASA? Boys club. Fortune 500 CEOS? Only 52 of 500 (highest ever) GMs of MLB & NFL? 62 teams. 1 woman. Do you know what we've been communicating to women? "If you're lucky or extraordinary, men might let you have a piece of the pie." NO. I teach my daughters there is no compromise. The future is female. The future is a whole new spectrum of gender and possibility. Men have held onto this world by mediocrity and force. If men want a piece of the future, maybe it's time they get lucky or extraordinary. But it's not a zero sum game. It's not about women replacing men. This is an "all ships rise" scenario. --> If we invest in more female founders --> If we continue inclusive remote work --> If we stop penalizing pregnancy --> If we elect female leaders with new approaches --> If we stop seeing certain jobs as men's jobs I promise you the world will be so much different and better, there will be so much more opportunity for women and men, that we'll wonder why we ever tried to hold onto the old world. When my daughter, who was 7 years old at the time, learned that no woman had been on the moon, she took a deep breath and said to me: "Okay. I guess I'll have to be the first." Damn straight you will.