For generations, women have been told to want more, do more, be more. We are encouraged to dream big, lean in, break glass ceilings. And yet, the moment we demonstrate ambition, the very trait required to achieve those dreams, we’re often met with suspicion, resistance, or even punishment.
Ambition is complicated for women. It doesn’t operate on a level playing field. While ambition in men is seen as natural, even admirable, ambition in women still triggers discomfort. We admire it in theory, but resent it in practice. Why? Because ambition is tied to power. And women’s pursuit of power continues to upend the traditional norms of gender, leadership, and influence.
The Historical Baggage of Female Ambition
Throughout history, women who have dared to claim public space, power, or authority have been cast as dangerous, deviant, or delusional.
Think of Cleopatra, portrayed for centuries not as a strategic ruler but as a seductress. Or Joan of Arc, who was burned at the stake in part for her defiance of traditional female roles. Fast forward to more modern figures—Hillary Clinton, labeled “calculating” and “cold,” or Sheryl Sandberg, criticized for pushing women to lean into a system that wasn’t built for them.
What these women have in common isn’t their careers, backgrounds, or politics. It’s ambition, and how threatening that ambition becomes when it belongs to a woman.
Psychological research backs this up. In a now-famous 2003 study by Harvard Business School professors examined reactions to a case study of a successful venture capitalist named Heidi Roizen. When students read about her as “Heidi,” they respected her competence but didn’t like her. When the same story was attributed to “Howard,” they liked him and respected him. The only difference? Gender.
This isn’t just history! It’s the architecture of our workplace reality.
How Ambitious Women Are Still Perceived Today
Despite the progress of recent decades, women’s ambition continues to be met with a double standard. An ambitious woman might be called aggressive, abrasive, or self-promoting. A man with the same behaviors is called a leader.
This tension is rooted in what social psychologists call role incongruity. We associate leadership with assertiveness, decisiveness, and dominance, traits traditionally coded as masculine. We associate femininity with warmth, empathy, and supportiveness. When women behave in ways that contradict those expectations, they violate social norms and trigger backlash.
Ambition, in this context, becomes a catch-22. If women express it openly, they risk being disliked and penalized. If they suppress it, they risk invisibility.
And for women of color, the stakes are even higher. Studies show that Black and Latina women face additional scrutiny, often having their ambition interpreted as anger or entitlement.
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