Why Successful Women Terrify Us

Why are women judged negatively, even by other women, for being successful? There always is a stereotype that people in general need to be a certain way (some would say ruthless) in order to climb the corporate ladder. When a man successfully makes it to the top, we slap him five, but when a woman does, people ask themselves how that happened. Did she wear low cut shirts? Did she act ruthless? Now I know some women may get to the top for the wrong reasons, but I am talking about the genuinely smart women who truly make good leaders.

Forbes.com named the 10 most hated and pervasive stereotypes about powerful women:

• Ice Queen - Think Devil Wears Prada



• Single and Lonely - Chose career over family



• Tough - Ruthless and not caring



• Weak - "Stems from women's greater desire to build a consensus" (Laura Chinchilla)



• Masculine - Must look like a businessman to play the part right



• Conniving - Must have done something to get to the top



• Emotional - Prone to emotional outbursts



• Angry - Sign of "status" for men



• A Token - looked at as a token of diversity instead of balancing out the numbers



• A Cheerleader - Condoscending and not looked at as stong leaders

First of all, these stereotypes all contradict each other. Second, maybe some women possess those traits but that does not make them unsuccessful. Plus, let's be honest...men possess them too!!!

More and more women are proving all these stereotypes wrong but it has been a long road to the point we are at now!!! I am on a committee at my work called WIN (Women Initiatives) so I am hoping that more and more women keep stepping over men as they climb the coporate ladder and prove all stereotypes wrong!

~Adrienne