Even in the 21st century, a gender leadership gap still pervades every aspect of society. Men continue to dominate both political and economic positions of power despite mounting evidence that proves female competence in leadership roles. Many people view this as a political issue, as this discrepancy becomes glaringly obvious especially in high political offices. However, in fact, this seemingly political problem has critical biological foundations.
Leadership is often associated with assertiveness and social dominance, qualities that are traditionally deemed as “masculine.” Women, on the other hand, are often more cooperative and sensitive, which society mistakes for weakness and unsuitability for leadership. The typical difference between male leadership behavior and female leadership behavior is attributed to the primary male sex hormone, testosterone [1]. As a society, we are ingrained to attribute testosterone-related qualities to positions of power. What we fail to realize, however, is that this very hormone is also responsible for undermining effective leadership.
In fact, research has shown that the presence of testosterone leads to overconfidence and an increased distrust in others. Men have proven to be more self-assured and blind to flaws in their reasoning than women, and this behavior has been linked to biological factors. Specifically, activity in the orbitofrontal cortex of the brain decreases as a result of increased testosterone levels, which is then responsible for increases in personal confidence.
To further explore the effects of testosterone, researchers at Kiel University administered a Cognitive Reflection Test (C.R.T.) on men and women to examine the participants’ ability to reject their intuition [2]. While both genders overestimated their performances on the exam, men were more likely to believe that they outperformed the other men. In contrast, women were more reluctant to claim that they were more intelligent than the other female participants [3]. The men’s overconfidence then correlated with reduced willingness to implement feedback and cooperate with others.
To supplement this existing scholarship, neuroscientists have studied the impact of increasing a woman's testosterone level with an oral additive [4]. Their results reinforced the conclusions of the Kiel University experiment. When given a more complex task, these women were less willing to seek help from others and more likely to rely on their own judgement, even when wrong [5].
In a separate experiment, researchers artificially increased the testosterone level of 243 male subjects before asking them to complete the C.R.T. [6]. Compared to the placebo condition, participants were 35% more likely to respond inaccurately and rely solely on their immediate instincts [7]. To explain this difference, neuroscientists have proposed a dual-system where humans are essentially controlled by two neurological modes of thought: System 1, which is quick and instinctive, and System 2, which is slower and much more deliberate [10]. By driving the participants towards quicker, inaccurate responses, testosterone pushes the balance to favor System 1, promoting intuition at the cost of logical thinking.
On top of decreasing accuracy, testosterone has also been shown to lower interpersonal trust. In one study, the hormone was administered to a group of 16 women, and neuroscientists then examined the connectivity between the orbitofrontal cortex and the amygdala using fMRIs. The MRIs showed that testosterone increased communication between the amygdala and the brainstems that are responsible for fear responses, while reducing communication to the orbitofrontal cortex [8]. As a result of the increased amygdala activity, social judgements and vigilance increase, leading to a decreased willingness for individuals to trust others [9].
Effective leadership should lie in an individual’s ability to direct a group effort, not usurp control. Testosterone increases assertiveness and dominance, qualities that are indubitably needed in a strong leader. However, it does so at a cost – the willingness to listen and cooperate with others. Understanding the biology underlying the leadership gap in political and economic spheres is critical to effectively advocating for increased female leadership. Only then will we be able to construct a more equal and efficient society.
[1] Rachel Rettner, “What is Testosterone?” Live Science, June 23, 2017.
[2] Therese Huston, "Men Can Be So Hormonal," The New York Times, June 24, 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/06/24/opinion/sunday/men-testosterone-hormones.html.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Jiajun Liao et al., “Exogenous Testosterone Increases Decoy Effect in Healthy Males,” Frontiers in Psychology, November 13, 2018, doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02188.
[9] Peter A. Bos et al., “The Neural Mechanisms by Which Testosterone Acts on Interpersonal Trust,” Neuroimage. 2012, doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.04.002.
[10] Ibid.