There’s a career tax on being smart at work—but only if you’re a woman
Sara Winslow had been working in sales for almost 20 years when things started to get uncomfortable. It was 2020. She was in her early forties, and by any conventional measure, she was thriving. She had just won an internal company award for bringing in the biggest sales account the previous year. But not everyone was celebrating her success. In meetings, she says, some of her male colleagues…
Sara Winslow's career has been impacted by her intelligence and assertiveness in a sales role for nearly two decades. In 2020, she received recognition for landing a significant client, yet some male colleagues began undermining her. Her experience highlights a research finding that intelligence and competence in women can lead to negative perceptions in the workplace.
A recent study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that women with higher cognitive ability were more likely to be perceived as hostile by colleagues, and this perception was associated with greater mistreatment and less help from coworkers. The study, involving 826 individuals across 140 teams, suggests that while men with high cognitive ability do not face the same interpersonal penalties, the penalties for women who defy traditional expectations of being communal and compliant may be more pervasive than previously understood.
This contradiction raises questions about the true meritocracy of modern workplaces, where women's abilities may be penalized despite their contributions. The findings underscore the persistence of gender stereotypes and biases in professional settings, where women may be judged against standards they can never fully meet. This double bind can have significant implications for women's career progression and overall workplace experience.
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