In the business world, ambition is a desirable characteristic that encompasses self-belief, drive, and persistence to succeed. Yet, for many women, being ambitious can feel like a mixed blessing. Dogged, strong-willed, relentless, stubborn, wilful, and my personal favourite, high maintenance. These are all words that have been used to describe me in the world of work. None of them are particularly positive, you’ll agree. There are many times I’ve been labelled ‘difficult’ in my career, where a male counterpart acting comparably has won praise for being focused and determined. Or simply ambitious. Has it stopped me? No. But for other women, it too often holds them back.
Despite strides towards workplace gender equality, and there have been many, ambitious women can still to this day be viewed negatively, leading to a complex working dynamic. In this blog, I’ll explore the question, is ambition a dirty word for women in business? Along with reasons why it shouldn’t be and how to tackle this phenomenon.
This will cover:
- Ambitious Women – The Statistics
- The Double Standard
- How Dare She Step Outside the Traditional Role?
- Our own worst enemy?
- Embracing Ambition
- Words Matter – Changing the Narrative
- To Conclude
AMBITIOUS WOMEN – THE STATISTICS
Good news. Women’s representation in the C-Suite is higher than it has ever been. Bad news. Still only one in ten of the UK’s top businesses have a woman as chief executive.
https://www.economicsobservatory.com/why-are-there-so-few-women-leading-the-uks-biggest-companies
Although not widening, the gender pay gap is still there. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), median hourly pay for full-time employees was 7.7% less for women than for men in April 2023. Alarmingly, too, women constituted the majority of those promoted without salary increases. https://thefutureofwork.pro/survey-reveals-insights-into-professional-womens-landscape-on-iwd-2024/
In colleges too, business courses, mechanics, and computer sciences are all still swayed towards males. Nursing, health and social care, so-called ‘softer subjects’ undeniably skewed towards female participation. Compare salaries in these career paths and do the math.
According to the House of Commons Library, “Women are much more likely to go to university than men and have been for many years. They are also more likely to complete their studies and gain a first or upper-second-class degree. However, after graduation, men are more likely to be in ‘highly skilled’ employment. “What happens to these bright, ambitious females as they enter the workplace?
What all of this represents is that yes, we’re gaining traction but there is still a lot of work to be done. And one of those is changing attitudes towards confident, ambitious women.
THE DOUBLE STANDARD
Women often face a double standard when it comes to ambition. While assertiveness and drive are celebrated in men, they’re often deemed as unlikeable characteristics in women. Women face an additional challenge from the outset: balancing the desire to succeed with societal expectations of females being thought of as kind and agreeable.
In my research for this blog, I found countless articles on the subject written by successful, ambitious women. Entrepreneur Liz Elter writes in Forbes:
Women are not actually supposed to be ambitious. We’re supposed to accept our place, take up as little space as possible, be thankful for what little room we’re allowed, and absolutely never make waves lest we be perceived as difficult.
You can read her full article here which documents the obstacles and attitudes she overcame in her rise to success, assumed tea-making and note-taking being but a few: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizelting/2017/04/24/the-high-cost-of-ambition-why-women-are-held-back-for-thinking-big/
There is still an expectation that women are there to support men in some way. Sadly, in 2024 we are still treated differently in the workplace and frowned upon for speaking out or acting with characteristics not deemed appropriate for a woman.
I, and many other women before and after me, chose to exit the traditional workplace and set up our own businesses where women could thrive. My reasons were slightly different yet still gender biased – childcare and the need for flexibility to suit my family’s lifestyle. It worked out well for both of us, yet not without hurdles, including societal attitudes towards ambitious women.
So, in asking ‘is ambition a dirty word for women in business’, Elter sums it up perfectly:
Women are supposed to be helpful, pliant, comforting—but never ambitious.
STEPPING OUTSIDE THE ‘TRADITIONAL’ ROLE
When they go it alone and set up their own company, ambitious women often face the fear of backlash for stepping outside traditional roles. Societal expectations historically say that starting a family and caring for loved ones falls to the female family member, placing home life ahead of career ambitions. For me, starting my business was also to demonstrate to my daughters that hard work reaps rewards.
Kamala Harris recently came under fire for NOT starting a family. Labelled as an ‘outsider,’ an eccentric, a ‘childless cat lady’ because she doesn’t have children and because she dares to show her ambition on the global stage. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/jd-vance-kamala-harris-childless-response-b2585324.html
The expectations around children and careers can lead to internal conflict for ambitious women, who may feel pressured to downplay their career goals. Women who pursue their ambitions are sometimes thought of as aggressive not assertive, self-serving not self-confident – labels rarely applied to their male counterparts. The fear that arises from this can lead many women to hesitate in expressing their ambitions, limiting their career growth and reinforcing gender stereotypes. Or worse, you try to do it all! Entrepreneur and Dragon Sara Davies talks about her career and how she balances a multi million pound business, and the school run!
OUR OWN WORST ENEMY?
Sadly, it is not just men who uphold this viewpoint. All too often in women will view ambitious females through a similar lens, either through fear, misinterpretation or societal conditioning. Another Forbes article by Kathy Caprino outlines:
There is indeed a great deal of unconscious gender bias with regard to how society views strong, authoritative women. Often, women are punished by our society and in their roles in leadership and management for speaking in confident ways. And they are perceived far more negatively than men for communicating in the same forceful way and manner as men do. This unconscious bias against women exists in both men and women.
Come on ladies – let’s change this.
EMBRACING AMBITION
If we’re to ever move forward, it’s essential for women to embrace their ambition and redefine what it means. Ambition should be seen as a positive trait that drives success and innovation. Women can be both ambitious and compassionate, strong leaders and supportive team players or family figureheads. Loving, caring yet assertive and strong-minded.
There should be no guilt associated with wanting to pursue a successful career path.
Embracing ambition can inspire others and pave the way for future generations of women in business.
WORDS MATTER – CHANGE THE NARRATIVE
To change the narrative around women and ambition, workplaces must foster environments that support and celebrate ambitious women. This includes awareness of how we talk about ambitious women in the workplace.
My challenge to everyone is to catch yourself during that next coffee machine chat and examine if your attitudes to women and men in your workplace are balanced. Do you use the same words to describe your male and female colleagues?
Perhaps you do. Perhaps you don’t. What’s important to remember is awareness is everything and that starts with self-awareness.
If you do detect a change in how you describe your colleagues, perhaps it’s time to change the narrative. Try substituting the word ‘pushy’ with the word ‘assertive’. ‘High maintenance’ with ‘highly motivated’. And so on…
Some other ways to change attitudes could be:
- Mentorship Programmes: Connecting ambitious women with mentors who can guide them through their career paths.
- Leadership Training: Offering training that empowers women to take on leadership roles confidently.
- Challenging Stereotypes: Actively working to dismantle stereotypes that penalise ambitious women.
TO CONCLUDE
So, is ambition a dirty word for women in business? Ambition should never be a dirty word, especially for women in business. It’s time to celebrate ambitious women and recognise their vital contributions to the business world. Embracing ambition isn’t just beneficial for individual women; it’s crucial for the growth and diversity of the entire business landscape.