Highlighting women's workplace achievements makes top female performers significantly more eager to take charge, according to new research from the University of Exeter Business School. Public recognition of a woman's strong performance boosts her willingness to lead—even in male-dominated fields—and teams under these leaders deliver superior results.
Dr. Jingnan Chen's study shows that adding more men to teams reduces women's leadership interest, particularly in stereotypically masculine tasks. However, openly praising women's skills and accomplishments effectively counters this barrier.
In male-stereotyped industries, women in both mixed-gender and all-female groups are twice as likely to sidestep leadership roles. Men similarly avoid leading in female-stereotyped fields, but only in mixed groups.
Dr. Chen explains: "There are so many capable women, but many don't feel encouraged in their workplaces, leading them to shy away from leadership. High performers often receive less recognition than men because they promote themselves less aggressively. It's crucial to equally spotlight their contributions."
"Greater recognition of women's achievements lets colleagues see their strengths, encouraging them to leverage their leadership potential. Focus on quantifiable wins—like sales figures or completed projects—for objective, measurable praise."
The research indicates public feedback boosts men's leadership in all-male groups but deters top women in all-female ones, as they prioritize fairness and collaboration. In mixed groups, however, it propels the strongest women to lead.
Researchers tested this with 248 University of Exeter students in groups of four, tackling quiz-style tasks and rating leadership likelihood. Participants also assessed gender stereotypes on task knowledge.
Dr. Chen concludes: "Spotlighting performance is a simple, powerful tool for organizations. It surfaces the best leaders—male or female—and consistently yields top team outcomes."
