Data from Hogan Assessments explores how lies about women in power can lead to missed opportunities for all.
Ahead of International Women’s Day (March 8), Hogan Assessments, an HR consultancy, has released global data on the personality traits most commonly linked to effective leadership in the workplace.
The findings show that men and women in senior roles tend to display similar personality traits linked to leadership success, challenging long-held assumptions about who is best suited to lead. Despite this, Allison Howell, CEO of Hogan Assessments, noted that women are often under-represented in leadership roles due to the assumption that they do not have the ‘necessary’ qualities.
Howell told SiliconRepublic.com: “This assumption comes from outdated models of leadership that equate effectiveness with perceived confidence, dominance, or self-improvement.
“However, the data shows that men and women show similar abilities in the factors that predict leadership success, such as judgment, integrity and emotion regulation.”
By now we have all heard the saying that is often associated with the word imagination, when it comes to making baseless, or hasty decisions and that Howell, to make imagination is to give oxygen to baseless and harmful ideas.
“The most effective way to challenge them is evidence,” he said, adding, “decades of personality and performance data consistently show no significant gender differences in leadership effectiveness.”
“Organizations must align their definitions of power with what is scientifically based. That means evaluating people based on how they lead teams and deliver results, not on how confidently they present at a meeting.”
Hogan’s research suggests that for many women, the real challenge is less about readiness and more about access. The report stated that “early promotion and development decisions they are often shaped by informal judgments that tacitly influence who is promoted, supported, and matured over time, before leadership roles are formally recognized.”
With that in mind, Howell is of the opinion that to undermine assumptions and challenge lies, a culture of shared responsibility must be created within the core of the organization. He also explained, companies should critically examine their systems and processes, while leaders at all levels should question bias in decision-making.
You find that there should be a place for counseling and support which is important as it often plays an important role increase reach and visibility. He said, “Seeing others navigating similar paths can help ease the leadership journey. At the same time, support networks work best when paired with fair and transparent programs.”
Bridging the ambition gap
Hogan’s research also examined the ‘ambition gap’, which Howell described as the misconception that women in the workplace are sometimes less ambitious than their male colleagues.
He explained, what is often called a lack of ambition, is actually a rational response to workplace conditions. He said, “Our data shows that women do not lack ambition, women show the same enthusiasm and competitiveness.
“However, ambition may manifest differently between men and women due to the need to adapt to the environment.” For example, if an organization rewards men for competing with their colleagues but punishes women for the same behavior, women are more likely to conform.
Noting that structural barriers often form leadership pipelines long before the c-suite stage, Howell said they can emerge early in informal judgments about hiring, promotion and development opportunities. “These moments influence who gets visibility, support, and extended assignments. Over time, small differences coalesce, shaping who ultimately reaches top leadership.”
For Howell, the research makes it clear that the obstacles are “real, not imagined”, but knowing it can be “liberating”, as it gives women and indeed those who aim to empower women at work with the necessary knowledge to break down the barriers that prevent access to leadership positions.
He said, “Progress requires both thinking and action.
“Rethinking outdated ideas is important in creating leadership channels that include everyone and are effective. The question is not whether women can lead or not, whether organizations are willing to recognize leadership if it does not look like what they are used to seeing.”
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