Who’s In Charge? Authority Gap Is Real and What You Can Do About It

There is a gendered authority and credibility gap that women need to address.

It is likely that if many of us had a nickel for every time someone questioned our authority or expertise, many of us would not be too concerned about having enough saved for retirement.

“There is a gendered authority and credibility gap that women need to address. #AuthorityGap #genderbias #womeninpower ”

Yes, those moments when your title and role are announced and the naysayers shrink in the back of the room, can be satisfying, but the consistent presumption of a lack of authority and credibility based on gender is far too prevalent and costly. It hinders not just acknowledgment, but advancement, opportunity, income and quality of life.  

In her new book, The Authority Gap: Why women are still taken less seriously than men, and what we can do about it, author and veteran journalist Mary Ann Siegart tells Forbes, “The authority gap is a measure of how much more seriously we take men than we take women. We tend to assume that a man knows what he's talking about until he proves otherwise. Whereas for women it's all too often, the other way round, and as a result, women tend to be underestimated more. They tend to be interrupted more, talked over more. They have to prove their competence more and we often feel uncomfortable when they're in positions of authority.”

“In her new book, #TheAuthorityGap, author and veteran journalist @MASieghart tells @Forbes, “The authority gap is a measure of how much more seriously we take men than we take women...women tend to be underestimated more. They tend to be interrupted more, talked over more.” #genderbias ”

The visuals from the recent G20 summit in Glasgow, Scotland of world leaders show a not so surprising reality of only three females in a sea of male leaders who are all apparently wearing the same black suit, white shirt and simple tie.

Short of wearing your resume on your sleeve, and having a pronouncement of your accomplishments recited before you comment in a meeting, what can you do every day to establish, maintain, project and command your authority as a leader?

“Short of wearing your resume on your sleeve, and having a pronouncement of your accomplishments recited before you comment in a meeting, what can you do every day to establish, maintain, project and command your #authority as a #leader? #leadershipdevelopment #womenleaders”

Offer factual evidence. A cornerstone of training in The OpEd Project is to “establish maximum credibility in the minimum amount of time.” When questioned to establish your authority, state matter of factly your title, how many years of experience you have, number of projects and perhaps key funding. State it dispassionately and without the uptick intonation of a question. Have a few different scripts ready for different scenarios, making sure that what you are offering as explanatory backup is relevant to the moment. For instance, if someone asks why you are giving the keynote, you could state you have been speaking on this topic for the exact number of years before audiences and say specifically where and for whom were the keynotes.

“Offer factual evidence. When questioned to establish your authority, state matter of factly your title, how many years of experience you have, number of projects and perhaps key funding. #authoritygap #womenleaders #genderbias ”

Be positive. Without sounding defensive, assume the best in the person who may not have experience confronting their own bias about who earns authority. State irrefutable facts about your qualifications without becoming exasperated about having to prove your credibility, even as it is truly exasperating. Women leaders—especially WOC—are doubted because they are dismissed as too young, too old, are from different regions of the country, or even express themselves or dress in a way that for some seems unfamiliar.

Know the realities going in and help each other. Proving yourself is measurably and undeniably worse for Black, Brown, Asian and Indigenous women. It is not about confidence, it is not about effort, it is about systems of inequity. So do your part to back up all women and work to promote their credibility as well as your own. According to Forbes, “promotions at the first step up to manager are not equitable (that persistent ‘broken rung’ challenge) and women of color lose ground in representation at every level. Between the entry level and the executive suite, the representation of women of color declines at a rate exceeding 75 percent.”

“Proving yourself is measurably and undeniably worse for Black, Brown, Asian and Indigenous women. It is not about confidence, it is not about effort, it is about systems of #inequity. So do your part to back up all women and work to promote their credibility as well as your own. #supportwomen #wocleaders”

Share your successes and your colleagues’ successes. When you or someone on your team earns a success—whether it is a project completed and lauded, new outcomes posted at the close of quarter, an award, promotion, publication, expert talk or board position, announce it on the listserv or at a meeting. There should always be room for kudos and congratulations so toot your horn, her horn and do not apologize. This may balance out the discrimination, or possibly the perception that results are not equal or promotions not deserved. Pew Research Center reports, “Nearly 4 out of 10 American women admitted they had experienced discrimination at work due to their gender, statistics on sexism show. 10% of working women reported that their managers refused to promote them, compared to 5% of men who encountered the same problems with their promotion.”

Be prepared and be accurate. If you go into every meeting, conference or workplace event with the notion that just because you are who you are others will assume you lack authority and credibility, then being well-prepared will always counter these false notions. Add relevant facts, information and insight to discussion with attribution to your work and comments that are easily checked and confirmed. Speak up, raise your hand, offer what you know to be true. Being reliable as someone who can speak up.

If it’s true, you’re not an imposter. Battling impostor syndrome is common, so tell yourself you deserve the recognition you have earned. If the evidence you have for your authority and credibility is true, then you are not an impostor. The Riveter reports, “impostor syndrome…impacts more than 70% of Americans, according to research published in the Journal of Behavioral Science. It’s also a condition that disproportionately affects women. Research has found that two-thirds of women have experienced impostor syndrome, as compared to 50 percent of men. A Hewlett Packard survey found that men apply to jobs where they believe they fit only 60% of the role requirements, while women responded that they only apply to jobs if they match 100% of the role description.”

“If it’s true, you’re not an imposter. Battling #impostorsyndrome is common, so tell yourself you deserve the recognition you have earned. If the evidence you have for your authority and credibility is true, then you are not an impostor. #workplaceculture”

While the real world is filled with IRL examples of how credibility and authority are gendered, Katie Winkle, a robotics engineer, writes in IEEE Spectrum that her experiment on gendered AI revealed that humans even treat gendered robots differently.

“While the real world is filled with IRL examples of how credibility and authority are gendered, Katie Winkle, a #robotics engineer, writes in @IEEESpectrum that her experiment on gendered AI revealed that humans even treat gendered robots differently. #gender #bias”

“My goal was to determine whether a robot which called out sexism, inappropriate behavior, and abuse would prove to be 'better' in terms of how it was perceived by participants. If my idea worked, it would provide some tangible evidence that such robots might be better from an 'effectiveness' point of view while also running less risk of propagating outdated gender stereotypes.”

In her study involving 300 school-age youth in Sweden, she found, “Girls' perception of the robot as a trustworthy, credible and competent communicator of information was seen to vary significantly, while boys' perception remained unaffected. This can be seen as an initial piece of evidence upon which to base the argument that robots and digital assistants should fight back against inappropriate gender comments and abusive behavior, rather than ignoring it or refusing to engage. It provides evidence with which to push back against that 'this is what people want and what is effective' argument.”

In other words, Alexa and Siri have to consistently prove their authority, just as many do women in real life.