Why Women Are Held to a Higher Competence Standard

Women at Work: Career, Leadership & Modern Work · Jun 13, 2026 · 6m · transcript

In this milestone 50th episode of Women at Work with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore the 'double bind' of competence bias: how women are often judged as either likable or capable, but rarely both — and the thinner margin for error women face compared to men. Drawing on a 2023 McKinsey & LeanIn.Org study that found women leaders are 1.5 times more likely to receive critical feedback on their communication style than male peers, they unpack how this higher bar shows up in performance reviews, promotion decisions, and everyday interactions. They also discuss research from Harvard Business School…