Lean In by Facebook Executive Sheryl Sandberg has much to say about how cultural stereotypes impact women and men, and ultimately our organizations. Sandberg’s points in Lean In relate directly to the discussion regarding recruitment of the best and brightest to our profession to ensure city management by professionals continues. Is it possible that change is necessary so that we are not counting the rising stars out before they get started, or the rising stars are not counting themselves out because of cultural bias?
Surveys show that more men than women aspire to reach the top jobs. Sandberg calls this the “Leadership Ambition Gap.” Even among the younger generation, millennial women are less likely than millennial men to aspire to a leadership role in their field. One cause of the “Leadership Ambition Gap” may be “Stereotype Threat.” This says that if we are cognizant of negative stereotypes, we are more likely to perform accordingly. Popular culture often portrays successful working women as consumed with their career with no time for a personal life. It further characterizes the stereotypical, successful, working man as having a partner at home who takes care of all the family needs, so he should be available to work at all times without regard to personal matters. Neither image fits with the lifestyle most young professionals want.
As city managers, we should consider how the “Leadership Ambition Gap” and “Stereotype Threat” are impacting our ability to develop and recruit talent. In addition, how do the stereotypes we portray create threats that discourage skilled people from seeking to be the manager? Are we making young people unnecessarily fearful of the manager role by portraying the job as one in which a personal life is not possible? After all, according to Sandberg, an individual’s professional decisions are most often driven by family dynamics.
(Article submitted by Paulette Hartman, City Manager, City of Joshua. If you have interesting news or helpful topics to share, please submit them to Kim Pendergraft at [email protected]. Please keep the information to fewer than 250 words.)