Ambition: Femininity and Climbing the Ladder of Success

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One of the most iconic representations of the relationship that women (and girls) have with ambition is the Fearless Girl statue by the sculptor Kristen Visbal, which was conceived by an advertising agency for an investment firm whose twenty-eight-person leadership team contains five women. The fashion designer Tory Burch launched an ad campaign called “Embrace Ambition.” A New York Times article about the “Embrace Ambition” campaign calls it a “public service announcement” aiming to reclaim what has become a dirty word for women.

A new anthology of essays about women and ambition, Double Bind, edited by the fiction and memoir writer Robin Romm, tries to embrace the concept in a more substantive way. In her introduction, Romm, who is in her early forties, writes about her sense, as a young woman, that “striving and achieving had to be approached delicately or you risked the negative judgment of others.” She calls this “the double bind of the gender, success paired eternally with scrutiny and retreat.” The symbolism is not lost on women who have been competitive and bold about their aspirations to get the corner office. There is that constant tug-of-war between the hard drive ambition she has to be on top and the ever-present socialization to be soft. Some women argue ambition is the last feminist taboo that needs to be penetrated; it is no longer a dirty word.

Bourree Lam, in her Atlantic article, “How Office Culture Can Crush Women’s Ambitions,” argues that women often report less interest in senior leadership roles not because of lack of motivation but may be because of how they are treated:

“In work environments where both men and women felt that the company was making progress toward gender diversity within its top ranks, all genders were more likely to aspire to a leadership position. For women at a pivotal part of their career, ages thirty to forty, only sixty-six percent reported wanting a leadership position at companies that weren’t seen as making progress in gender diversity. That’s compared with eighty-five percent of women who worked at companies they felt were making progress.”

Organizations can take initiatives to promote diversity, but day-to-day interactions that signal to all genders that the company is interested in nurturing female employees may make a big difference. The everyday micro behaviors can add up to communicating the real desire for a pipeline and pathway for women who aspire to be ambitious. It includes everything, such as the attitude of managers, inclusion in high-priority meetings and decision-making, and a slap on the back and monetary rewards for a job well done. It is a mistake to assume that women aren’t competitive or don’t want senior leadership roles. Their aspirations can be enhanced with an attitude of acceptance and the elimination of micro-inequities.

Although there is no denying an inclusive environment may trump the socialization women have received to squelch their ambitions to be on top, they have to take the initiative to develop a comfort level and make friends with their desire to strive to be the best. Women need to ignite their inner ambitions and grab their entitled leadership roles.

Here are some thoughts and considerations:

The Origins of the Ambition Gap

• He actualizes his potential versus she is conceited and egotistical
• It is not feminine to be ambitious
• Social engineering trains us to be the woman behind the throne, not sitting on it
• Ambition is interpreted as not caring about others

The Unconscious Bias of Undermining Our Own Ambitions

• Why we undermine our own ambitions: a core tenant of unconscious bias
• She is accused of being selfish and less other-oriented when she is ambitious
• The struggle to have it all
• Why women are less rewarded for public success?

Overcoming the Hesitation

• Admit it—you are ambitious
• Surround yourself with like-minded women
• Set your goals and share them
• Put your manager on notice