Who’s the boss?

In today’s evolved workplace culture, the politically correct opinion about a gender preference for leaders would be a shrug that says, “makes no difference”, writes Indu Balachandran

I saw a great office joke the other day: a stern-looking lady executive tells a man across her desk: “Since you’re so uncomfortable with a female boss, Harold, you’re fired…” And in the next frame, she says, “I so hope my sacking you won’t affect our marriage, honey?” Uh oh!

Feminists will likely chuckle the most over this workplace humour that takes a dig at chauvinistic men/husbands all at once. This got me thinking: are there definite preferences people have in men/women bosses in the corporate world? To begin with, corporate bosses are statistically far more likely to be male than female (according to a McKinsey 2023 report); and familiarity usually shapes preferences.

Male leaders may be the preferred majority in offices — just as female nurses are usually preferred over male nurses; choices are influenced by traditional roles of the sexes that people have got used to.

In today’s evolved workplace culture, the politically correct opinion about a gender preference for leaders would be a shrug that says, “Makes no difference”. Yet, research points to nuanced ways that men and women in top leadership roles are perceived as different.

Male bosses are seen as faster at taking decisions. Women weigh consequences, then act. Men are aggressive with their viewpoint; women are better at driving employee engagement.

Men are more single-minded about work targets and results; women instinctively strive for work-life balance.

Many women even dislike the term ‘woman boss’ — just as some author pals I know get annoyed being called ‘female writer’. In this day and age, why should you spell it out? Yet gender biases continue to pop up. Take the word ‘boss’ itself. Definitely a cool term to be addressed as, man or woman. But ‘bossy’ sounds annoying —someone shoving opinions down your throat. And invariably it’s women who get tagged with this adjective.

Women chipping away at glass ceilings (perhaps with their stilettos), have to deal with unfair judgements for the very same managerial actions as men, say research reports.

A fastidious male leader may be complimented for his attention to detail; female perfectionists could be called nit-picky; a man freely f-wording his way through a meeting raises no eyebrows; a woman would be criticised for using bad language like a sailor.

But call a woman a badass cool boss, and she’ll love you for it. Like many of Bollywood’s leading actresses today, who are successful businesswomen too, despite a demanding parallel career.

Boss-of-state

Countries with legendary women boss-of-state — Margaret Thatcher, Golda Meir — have both earned the nickname ‘Iron Lady’; though Ms Meir also won this dubious tagline: ‘the best man in the government to run Isreal’. Not something that today’s 28 women heads of government/state around the world, in power right now, would consider a compliment!

Take this sarcastic dig from a lady standup comic: “I guess a woman can claim equal rights with men, as soon as she can open a can of beer with her teeth at the next annual office party…”

Gender biases continue to agitate feminists in another crucial area: salaries. Even for women who’ve risen to the Big Boss position. Like this peeved boss-lady’s conversation with the head office HR guy, after her recent elevation: “Congrats, ma’am! Here’s your revised salary as Regional Manager. We’ll keep it confidential.”  “Don’t worry. I’m equally ashamed of it.”

So for ladies out there battling bias and burnouts slogging your way to the top, here are some squelches and putdowns to get you past unfairness to the fairer sex: “Bob is an inspiration — such a hard-working boss! Does the work of two men. Or one woman.” “Normally you’d be fired Mr Kumar. But we have lower standards for men.”

But as an advertising boss-lady once myself, this is my favourite:
“Of course we women bosses don’t work that hard or as long as men bosses. We just get it right the first time.”

(He Said/She Said is a monthly column on gender issues — funny side up. The author’s love for cooking up stories has resulted in her latest book “My Grandmother Can’t Cook!”. Reach her at [e-mail])