There is no difference between men and women when it comes to corporate leadership. This is the main finding of the research conducted by Hogan Assessments and published this March. The study aimed to evaluate six myths about women's behavior in management related to ambition level, risk appetite, stress management capacity, strategic vision, and innovation.
The research was conducted based on the review of three large datasets of over 25,000 global executives, including personality scores, performance ratings, and key competencies. The study focused on understanding whether men and women differ in their personality traits, as well as identifying any gender differences in personality traits that predict leadership effectiveness.
It is incredible that even today society – including the media – reflects behavioral stereotypes regarding women in leadership positions, such as linking anxiety to being typically feminine and hindering decision-making. Recently, we even heard Mark Zuckerberg [CEO of Meta] say that companies need more 'masculine energy,' a phrase that has been endlessly repeated worldwide and has no scientific basis whatsoever, explains Roberto Santos, managing partner of Ateliê RH, a pioneering consultancy in the use of the Hogan methodology in Brazil.
In Brazil, data from IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) indicate that only 39% of women held managerial positions in 2022—despite the female participation rate in the labor market reaching 53.3% in that same year. In 2023, a study by the National Industry Observatory indicated that the number of women in leadership remained the same, even though they had a level of education twice as high as men.
Indeed, a similar discrepancy occurs worldwide. A global survey conducted by Grant Thornton International showed that in 2023, women held 33.5% of senior management positions worldwide, although they represent 42% of the global workforce.
The myths debunked by research
"In all the myths analyzed, the study proves that there are no personality differences between male and female executives. But unfortunately, women continue to face huge barriers to advancing in their careers – and these results are important because they reinforce the need to abandon outdated beliefs based on prejudices that prevent highly qualified women from reaching leadership positions," evaluates Santos.
The first myth evaluated was that of female ambition, often questioned as inferior to male ambition. Contrary to what is imagined, analyses of personality scores showed that male and female executives have similar levels of ambition, with no significant differences between genders. The measurement of ambition was conducted using the "Ambition" scale present in the Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI). In practice, the results show that work performance, regarding this aspect, is the same for men and women.
Another point analyzed concerns decision-making and risk propensity, often associated with men. Hogan Assessments' research revealed that men and women are equally decisive and risk-taking, invalidating the idea that women are more cautious or indecisive.
Furthermore, characteristics such as excessive caution, which within the Hogan methodology refers to an excessive concern with criticism, as well as being obsequious—defined as being eager to please and reluctant to act autonomously—are equally detrimental to men and women.
The widely held belief that women are not natural leaders has also been challenged. Using scales related to the Big Five Model (Adjustment, Ambition, Sociability, Interpersonal Sensitivity, Prudence, Inquisitiveness, and Learning Approach), the data indicated that women exhibit the same essential leadership characteristics as men.
Another widespread myth is that women need to adopt traditionally masculine characteristics to be effective leaders. The study showed that characteristics considered masculine, such as dominance or assertiveness, do not confer a specific advantage to men; on the contrary, the performance of leaders of both genders is negatively affected by this trait.
Finally, the study also analyzed the ability of men and women to handle high-stress situations and their competence in innovation and strategy. The results revealed that there are no significant differences between genders in these skills, showing that both men and women perform similarly in high-pressure contexts and in the face of strategy and innovation demands.
In this way, Santos concluded, organizations must identify the real internal cultural barriers that limit women's access to executive positions because the most common myths regarding personality differences between genders are scientifically challenged by these and other studies.
