Since 1965, Harvard Business Review has surveyed men and women executives on perceptions of women in leadership. Early results showed strong negative views of women in management by many men. Sixty years later, while attitudes improved, a significant gap remains. In 2006, men and women largely agreed on the critical judgment faced by women leaders. Today, 90% of women see higher scrutiny versus 35% of men. Women are more likely to feel they must outperform men to succeed and view promotion criteria as unequal. Men tend to see senior roles as limited by family demands, while women experience pre-emptive assumptions against them. Despite progress, recent political shifts have rolled back diversity initiatives. Studies show women are sponsored and promoted less often, remain underrepresented in leadership, and face higher burnout rates.
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