What you probably already know: More than 80% of women executives believe they “must be more exceptional than men to succeed,” compared with just 28% of men. Harvard Business Review recently replicated the same survey it first conducted in 1965 and compared responses over the past 60 years, finding that overt bias toward women leaders has declined, but women and men view opportunity and advancement much differently. The analysis, called “What 60 years of data reveals about how men and women experience leadership,” cites controversy over DEI and a heightened awareness of bias among women as key drivers for changing attitudes.
Why it matters: The research began among 2,000 executives six decades ago with a deliberately provocative question: “Are Women Executives People?” It was repeated in 1985, 2006 and again this year using identical questions, enabling a rare comparison of how perceptions have evolved over time. “Twenty years ago, men and women answered nearly identically (35%) when asked whether women are judged more critically in executive roles,” authors Dwayne Whitten, Wendy R. Boswell and Susan Oldroyd, all at Texas A&M University, note. “Today, men still answer at 35%, but women answer at 90%.” The latest survey includes responses from 193 U.S. executives across various industries, as well as additional interviews with many respondents.
What it means: The authors say the current findings reflect so-called “prove-it-again” bias, where women must repeatedly demonstrate competence where men do not. Men are often evaluated on potential while women are narrowly judged on achievement, and men’s mistakes often still create a positive impression, where women’s miscues are used against them. “Our data suggest this dynamic has not only persisted but intensified,” the authors write, adding that perceptions have “worsened” since the last survey 20 years ago. Only 37% of women believe promotion criteria are equally applied compared to 70% of men, while only 40% of women consider their company a true meritocracy.
What happens next: The authors say the focus 60 years ago was whether women could lead. Twenty years ago, it focused on changing attitudes. The current survey seeks to know why perception gaps widened despite palpable progress women have experienced. The authors urge companies to examine systems and not just attitudes; measure employee experiences; improve corporate transparency; and encourage dialogue where leaders can discuss differing perceptions. “What 60 years of evidence makes clear is that the barrier was never the tools. It was the willingness to actually use them.”
