The Corporate Tightrope: How Women Walk a Different Path

Corporate culture loves to pretend the playing field is level. That success is about merit. That the best ideas always rise to the top.

But here’s the truth: women in the workplace aren’t playing the same game as their male colleagues. They’re walking a tightrope — expected to be confident, but not too confident. Direct, but not too direct. Ambitious, but never “aggressive.”

Men get judged on potential. Women get judged on proof. A man who takes risks is seen as visionary, while a woman who does the same is called reckless. A man who speaks up is strong; a woman who speaks up is difficult.

Then there’s the motherhood penalty. The assumption that a woman with kids is “less committed” while a man with kids is seen as responsible and stable. Promotions, pay raises, and leadership roles don’t come as easily when decision-makers quietly assume you’ll be too “distracted” to lead.

And let’s talk about the burden of “likability.” Women are expected to be competent and warm, assertive yet approachable — striking a balance that men never have to consider. It’s exhausting.

So what’s the fix? First, stop pretending bias doesn’t exist. Second, call it out — when you see it, when you hear it, when you feel it. Third, change the system — because women shouldn’t have to keep performing this balancing act just to be taken seriously.

Let’s hear it: What’s one unspoken rule for women at work that men never have to think about?