The Whole Pack of Female Leadership: What Women Overcome and Negotiate to be Endorsed as Leaders

Abstract

With the substantial increase in women’s participation in the workforce and the challenges they face in the workplace, understanding female leadership has become a tenet in the literature. Drawing on gender-role stereotypes, this work addresses the contrasting demands that women face in their career path toward leadership. By looking at how women narrate their path toward leadership and higher hierarchical positions, we aim to shed light on what distinguishes female leadership. Twelve in-depth interviews were conducted with top female managers from diverse segments in Brazil. Based on thematic and narrative analysis, interviewees’ narratives were considered to understand how female leaders make sense of their experiences. Data showed a shared narrative concerning women’s career paths, requiring a set of behaviors and strategies to be legitimized as a leader and shatter the glass-ceiling. Moreover, we propose 4 four mechanisms for female leadership.