When Qualified Women Resist the Leader Label

Many women are less likely than men to see themselves as leaders despite their demonstrated abilities.

- Julia Lee Cunningham, Sue Ashford, and Laura Sonday

Sarah, a manager in a bustling tech company, consistently delivers top results. Her team outperforms others, her strategic insights drive innovation, and her emotional intelligence allows her to easily navigate complex stakeholder relationships. By all measures, Sarah is an exemplary leader. Yet, when asked if she sees herself as a leader, Sarah hesitates. “I’m just doing my job,” she says with a shrug.

Sarah is not alone. Indeed, research reveals a startling disconnect: Although women often outperform men in leadership effectiveness, they are less likely to identify as leaders. This isn’t just about modesty or impostor syndrome; it’s an invisible misalignment between competence and identity that powerfully skews the leadership landscape. Seeing oneself as a leader is often a preliminary step to being seen as a leader by others, yet this identification process is more fraught for women than for men, particularly in the workplace.

The gulf between what women are capable of and how they see themselves raises critical questions: Why do highly competent women shy away from the “leader” label? How does this reluctance affect their career trajectories and organizational outcomes? And, most importantly, how can companies bridge this identity gap to take full advantage of their leadership talent pools?

The Leader-Identity/ Competence Paradox