How Workplace Culture Keeps Women from Rising.
Hidden biases and how to counteract them.
“There will be plenty of obstacles in your path. Don’t let yourself be one of them.” – Amelia Earhart
Women are often told that success comes from working hard, proving their worth, and seizing opportunities. But what happens when workplace culture is structured against them?
The barriers to women in leadership and career advancement are often not overt, but embedded in everyday workplace dynamics - unspoken rules, hidden biases, and systemic habits. These invisible forces operate under the surface, making it harder for women to secure leadership roles, influence decisions, and be fully recognized for their contributions.
Understanding these factors - and how to counteract them - is essential for any women who wants to break through and rise to the top.
The Reality: Workplace Culture is Not Neutral
The workplace is not a meritocracy. It is a complex system built on history, office politics, power structures, and ingrained expectations - many of which were designed without women in mind.
Signs of a Workplace Culture That Silently Sabotages Women:
The prove-it-again bias: Women are often only promoted after repeatedly demonstrating competence, while men are often promoted based on potential. Even once promoted, women have a short window in which to prove their excellence in their new role, while men are given more room to adapt to the new position.
The double bind: Assertive women are seen as aggressive, collaborative women are seen as weak.
Invisible workload: Women take on more “office housework” - mentoring, organizing, note-taking, etc. with little recognition for these extra efforts, particularly because they are generally tasks that do not advance a person’s career.
Exclusion from informal networks or networking events: The real decisions and influence often happen in conversations or situations where women may not be invited (e.g., golf course, dinners, etc.)
Unequal access to sponsors: Women often receive “soft” mentorship versus the direct sponsorship men receive. While mentoring is important, sponsorship often gives candidates a significant advantage when pursuing new roles or projects.
Example: A study by McKinsey & Company found that women are 24% less likely than men to receive advice from senior leaders on how to advance.
How Workplace Culture Stalls a Woman’s Advancement
1. The Credibility Gap: Why Women Have to Prove Themselves Repeatedly
Women face higher standards for competence, often needing to outperform male colleagues just to be seen as equally capable. This results in fewer promotions, slower career growth, and increased burnout.
How to Counteract It: Keep a documented record of achievements, workload, and contributions. Advocate for yourself in performance reviews and seek out allies who will vouch for your expertise.
Example: Danielle Li - a professor for MIT Sloan - found that women scored higher on performance ratings but lower for future “potential” versus their male counterparts.
2. The Leadership Penalty: Confidence vs. Likability
The “double bind” forces women to navigate a narrow space between being perceived as competent or being liked - but rarely both. Assertiveness is seen as hostility, while warmth and empathy are mistaken for a lack of leadership capability.
How to Counteract It: Use strategic communication - be collaborative and open, but maintain a clear, authoritative presence. Cultivate executive presence through both verbal or non-verbal cues. This can include things like active listening, strategic pauses in conversation, and strong power poses.
Example: Angela Merkel, despite being one of the world’s most powerful leaders, was often described in terms of personality rather than leadership ability—a challenge rarely faced by her male counterparts.
3. The Invisible Workload: Women Carry More, Gain Less
Women are expected to take on additional responsibilities that do not lead to promotions - mentoring, organizing office events, taking notes in meetings, etc. These tasks help the business but do little to advance careers.
How to Counteract It: Be selective in taking on extra tasks. Shift conversations from “helping” to leading strategic initiatives that align with your career goals.
Example: Sheryl Sandberg’s research in Lean In found that women are 48% more likely to volunteer for non-promotable work.
4. Exclusion from Decision-Making Networks
The most critical career advancements and sponsorship often happen through informal channels - dinners, golfing, executive retreats - where women are often absent or if present, seen as an uncomfortable addition to the event.
How to Counteract It: Proactively build a network that includes key decision-makers - both at your organization and in your industry. Seek out male and female allies who will advocate for you in rooms where you aren’t present.
Example: The Harvard Business Review reports that 70% of promotions are influenced by informal conversations outside of official performance evaluations.
5. The Sponsorship Deficit: Women Get Mentored, Men Get Sponsored
Women are often given mentors who offer advice in private, while men receive sponsors who actively advocate for their promotion.
How to Counteract It: Make a list of possible sponsors - leaders who have the influence to recommend you for high-visibility projects and/or promotions. Once you’ve built trust, be honest with your ambitions and ask their advice and help on getting onto the right path for promotion.
Example: A Catalyst study found that women with sponsors are 19% more likely to progress in their careers than those with mentors alone.
What Organizations and Leaders Can Do to Change the Culture
For Companies:
Establish transparent promotion criteria to reduce subjective bias.
Ensure equal access to sponsorship and high-visibility opportunities.
Normalize family-friendly policies without penalizing women for utilizing them.
For Women in Leadership:
Advocate for other women and bring them into important conversations.
Challenge biased performance reviews - push for evaluation based on results, not leadership style.
Redefine leadership norms - show that a variety of leadership styles are important and effective for organizations.
Final Thought: It’s Time to Rewrite the Rules
Workplace culture will not change on its own. The only way forward is for women to recognize the silent sabotage at play and actively work to counter it—while also pushing organizations to evolve.
The key is not just working harder but working strategically. Understanding the hidden biases at play allows women to navigate them intelligently and change the system from within.
Because real power doesn’t come from playing by someone else’s rules. It comes from rewriting them.
Further Reading & Sources:
"Women in the Workplace 2023," McKinsey & Company
Harvard Business Review, "Why Women Don’t Advance as Fast as Men"
Catalyst, "The Sponsorship Effect: Breaking Through the Last Glass Ceiling"
Stanford University Study, "Performance Reviews and Gender Bias"