How the Halo Effect Penalizes Women Leaders

Women at Work: Career, Leadership & Modern Work · Jun 17, 2026 · 5m · transcript

Lucas and Luna explore the halo effect and how it disproportionately harms women in leadership. Using the example of a female executive whose one negative performance area colored all her reviews, they discuss how cognitive bias leads to unfair assessments. They share research from Harvard Business Review showing that men are more likely to be evaluated on specific achievements, while women face global judgments. Practical strategies for women to combat this bias include documenting wins and seeking specific feedback. The episode ties into the broader theme of unconscious bias in performance…