14/06/2024
When will we stop mistaking female leaders for "coffee servers"?
Over the past week, TWO of my very senior female clients, who are both highly successful and accomplished professionals in their fields, shared the same story with me.
The first was asked by a attendee at the conference that she was speaking at ‘excuse me, where is the coffee station?’ ☕
The second story was similar as she walked into the board meeting which she has a seat at the table at - was asked by somebody else in the room to ‘fetch them a brew’ 🍵
Both people asking these questions in these scenarios were male.
Let that sink in for a moment.
These are women who are leaders, experts in their fields, and have earned their place at the decision-making table through hard work and their excellence in their fields.
And yet, the unconscious bias still exists that a woman's role is supposedly to serve refreshments rather than be the leader in the room.
It's a stark reminder of how far we still have to go to overcome the outdated stereotypes and double standards that women, especially in leadership, continue to face.
When the default assumption is that the woman must be an assistant or service staff rather than the one calling the shots, it perpetuates the systemic barriers that keep talented female leaders from reaching their full potential.
It's 2024, and women have more than proven their worth as managers, executives, entrepreneurs and drivers of innovation across all sectors.
Talented leaders should be recognised for their accomplishments and expertise, regardless of gender.
It's my mission to help women reclaim their voices and make an impact on the world through LinkedIn.
And yet I keep hearing similar stories to my own when I was asked to pop out to get 12 coffees (how was I meant to carry that?!) for a meeting 🤯🤹♀️
It's on all of us to keep calling out these injustices, supporting the women around us.
Only then can we say we are truly practicing what we preach on diversity, equity and inclusion.
Who else has mistaken for a coffee server or assistant?
