Data from Hogan Assessments explores how falsehoods about women in positions of power can result in missed opportunities for all.
Ahead of International Women’s Day (8 March), Hogan Assessments, a HR consulting platform, released globally sourced data on the personality traits typically linked with effective leadership in the workplace.
What was discovered is that men and women in executive roles often demonstrate similar personality traits linked to leadership effectiveness, challenging long-standing assumptions about who is best suited to lead. Despite this, Allison Howell, the CEO of Hogan Assessments, noted that women are frequently underrepresented in leadership roles because of assumptions that they lack the ‘necessary’ traits.
Howell told SiliconRepublic.com: “This assumption stems from outdated models of leadership that equate effectiveness with visible confidence, dominance or self-promotion. These traits have historically been overvalued, shaping perceptions of potential.
“However, the data shows that men and women demonstrate similar capabilities on the traits that actually predict leadership success, such as judgement, integrity and emotional regulation.”
For Howell, to make an assumption is to give oxygen to unfounded and even harmful ideas.
“The most effective way to challenge them is through evidence,” she said. “Decades of personality and performance data consistently show no meaningful gender differences in leadership effectiveness.
“Organisations need to align their definitions of potential with what the science actually supports. That means evaluating people based on how they actually lead teams and deliver results, not on how confidently they present in a meeting.”
Hogan’s research suggests that for many women, the real challenge is less about readiness and more about access. The report stated that “early promotion and development decisions are often shaped by informal judgements that quietly influence who is encouraged, supported and advanced over time, long before leadership roles are formally in sight”.
With that in mind, Howell is of the opinion that to undermine assumptions and challenge falsehoods, a culture of shared responsibility must be created from within the core of an organisation. She explained, companies have to critically evaluate their own systems and criteria, while leaders at every level should question biases in decision-making.
She believes there should also be room for key mentorship and sponsorship as it often plays a critical role in increasing access and visibility. She said: “Seeing others navigate similar paths can help demystify leadership journeys. At the same time, support networks are most effective when paired with fair and transparent systems.”
Bridging the ambition gap
Hogan’s research also explored the ‘ambition gap’, which Howell explained is the incorrect assumption that women in the working environment sometimes have less ambition than their male co-workers.
She explained that what is often labelled as a lack of ambition is in fact a reasonable response to structural workplace conditions. She said: “Our data shows that women don’t lack ambition, women show comparable drive and competitiveness.
“However, ambition may appear differently between men and women because of the need to adapt to the environment. For example, if an organisation rewards men for competing with colleagues but punishes women for the same behaviour, women are more likely to adapt to the environment.”
Noting that structural barriers often shape leadership pipelines long before the C-suite stage, Howell said they can emerge early through informal judgements via hiring, promotion and development opportunities. “These moments influence who gains visibility, support and stretch assignments. Over time, small disparities compound, shaping who ultimately reaches senior leadership.”
For Howell the research makes it clear that the barriers are “real, not imagined”, but knowing that “can be freeing”, as it gives women and indeed those aiming to empower women in the workplace the knowledge needed to break down barriers blocking access to leadership positions.
She said: “Progress requires both reflection and action. The evidence is clear, leadership effectiveness isn’t defined by gender, but by how well we align potential with performance.
“Rethinking outdated assumptions is essential to building more inclusive and effective leadership pipelines. The question isn’t whether or not women can lead. It’s whether organisations are willing to recognise leadership when it doesn’t look like what they are used to seeing.”
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