There’s a common belief in the modern working world that women are less confident than men. It’s sometimes called imposter syndrome, pinning the potential of success on women as individuals rather than the social systems they work within and it’s even used to excuse gender and pay disparities at the leadership level. In short, less confidence = less success.
But new research suggests that the opposite is true: in 2024, female business leaders are significantly more confident that they have the right skills to be successful at work than their male counterparts.
In a survey of more than 15,600 workers across 12 countries, HP’s new Work Relationship Index found that 52% of women business leaders said they feel confident in their human skills such as empathy, communication and self-awareness, compared to just 39% of men. When it comes to hard skills, 48% of women leaders feel confident in technical skills like computing, presenting and marketing whilst only 38% of male leaders reported the same.
“Less than half of business leaders (47%) consistently feel confident they’re equipped with the right skills to be successful at work,” the report states. So it’s no small feat that women leaders are feeling so much more sure of their own abilities than their male peers, at a time when confidence at work collectively is low.
And what’s more, women business leaders are becoming more confident compared to last year both in human skills (+10 points) and hard skills (+4 points), whereas male leaders’ confidence in human skills is stagnating and even declining in hard skills (-3 points).
So why are women leaders feeling more confident at work now?
What’s Driving Women’s Confidence At Work
Although HP’s research didn’t specifically investigate why women business leaders are more confident this year compared to last, there’s a few likely drivers behind the trend.
A big reason is the professional development women at top levels of leadership are investing in themselves. “Today, as women see more women in positions of leadership and are mentored by women they are feeling more confident in their ability to display both hard and human skills,” Dr. Alexa Chilcutt, Executive Education Faculty for Johns Hopkins Carey Business School tells me.
“There has always been the ‘double bind’ for women. This refers to the need to be strong decision-makers and communicators while displaying warmth and a ‘human touch.’ As the workplace now embraces multiple generations and a need for empathy for the person, while holding people accountable for the quality of work, women will excel,” she said.
And women are better supported by their workplaces as well. “Many companies are investing in and placing a greater emphasis on training and resources specific to human skills, such as empathy training, which may be empowering women with the confidence to stretch and grow their skills in these areas,” Neil Sawyer, HP’s U.K. and Ireland managing director who worked on the report, says.
The Need For Emotional Intelligence In A Digital World
Despite the working world becoming more data-driven and digital every day, there’s a growing need for empathy and emotional intelligence in the workplace. HP’s research revealed that knowledge workers crave emotional intelligence from their leaders in order to maintain a positive relationship with work, which includes effective communication, empathy and appreciation.
“In terms of human skills, this is an area where women with high emotional intelligence that is paired with technical competence reign supreme,” said Chilcutt.
With the data underscoring that women leaders are more confident in their human skills, it’s clear that emotional intelligence is the key that employees need from their managers to unlock productivity and connection with their work.
The Gender Confidence Gap
There’s a confidence gap between female and male business leaders, when it comes to their skill set at work – and it’s growing.
“The confidence gain is notable. For the past two years our Work Relationship Index research has found women business leaders around the globe feel more confident than men,” said Sawyer.
“In 2023 there were only a few points’ difference between confidence among women and men leaders, but in 2024 that gap is now in the double digits,” he said. To bridge the gap, it’s important for all business leaders to continue developing their human and hard skills, which can unlock confidence in the workplace.
But it’s also important to recognize that confidence at work as a whole is still mediocre, so there’s an opportunity for employers to do more to upskill, train and empower their leaders with skills development.
“While the confidence gains women business leaders have made year over year are incredibly positive, there’s still more work to be done – it’s still only about half of women business leaders who report feeling confident they have the right skills to be successful at work and even fewer report confidence in their skills, indicating a continued need for training and resources in these areas,” said Sawyer.
How To Build Your Confidence At Work
With self-belief as a crucial part of your likelihood for success, it’ll come as a relief that confidence isn’t innate – it can be developed. If you’re looking to improve your confidence at work, Chilcutt shared her top tips.
1. Play to your strengths. Ask yourself: what am I doing well? What hard skills are considered strengths and what human skills come naturally to me? Maximize your strengths by leaning into them.
2. Find a mentor. Identify someone you admire who has held a position of leadership like your own. Reach out to ask for occasional guidance over coffee, which can be a huge source of strength and clarity.
3. Communication is key. To influence and create buy-in with your team or external stakeholders, you must be a confident communicator. Develop your public speaking and presentation skills through practice and consider an executive education course or enlisting a coach.
4. Widen your circle of influence. Create connections beyond your immediate department to understand how your work impacts the organization at large. This gives you a broader picture of the contributions of your work and allows you to talk about it on a larger scale.
5. Find a sponsor. Different from a mentor, a sponsor has influence within your organization and witnesses the work you do, but is not directly related to your position. A sponsor can advocate on your behalf when decisions about opportunities like promotions are on the table.
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