Abstract
The stated goals of the book Women and Leadership are “to advance our understanding of why women are underrepresented in leadership, what strategies are most likely to change that fact, and why it matters” (p.2). To this end, feminist legal scholar Deborah Rhode examines the status of women’s leadership in politics, management, law, academia, and corporate boards. She synthesizes information from a variety of sources, including social science research, a survey she conducted, newspaper accounts, and websites. Each chapter follows the analytic framework laid out in the introduction, beginning with a discussion of three barriers to women in leadership: sexist bias, in-group favoritism, and inhospitable work-family arrangements. The experiences of white women are highlighted first, followed by those of women of color. The second half of each chapter is devoted to advice for individuals and for organizations on how to overcome these barriers. The book then concludes with the argument that women’s leadership will promote a more just, equal, and productive society.
The status of women’s leadership in all of these professional fields is abysmal. The book documents the persistent and seemingly intractable opposition to women in charge. It offers a compendium of startling facts—such as, more men named “John” are running S&P 1500 companies than women in this elite group (p. 57). But Rhode remains optimistic. Despite the dearth of women leaders, the “good news,” she writes, “is that a growing number of male leaders are recognizing the case for gender equity” (p.133). Although their support has not yet materialized into effective practices, Rhode believes that change is imminent. She maintains that because women in power make organizations more efficient and profitable, society can “ill afford” (p. 7) to continue excluding talented women from leadership ranks.
The book is at its best when discussing law and the legal profession, topics that Rhode has devoted much of her career to studying. She notes an interesting paradox: members of the legal profession are tasked with writing and implementing laws to prevent gender discrimination, yet few women occupy leadership positions in the profession. Perhaps relatedly, the existing legal remedies for gender discrimination are limited. She points out that suing an employer for gender discrimination can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, but only 2 percent of complaints of gender discrimination result in legal victories, 40 percent of which are overturned on appeal (p. 22). The problem, Rhode argues, is that guilty verdicts require employers to be judged intentionally biased, an almost impossible allegation for claimants to prove.
How might women leaders alter these organizational features of the law? Unfortunately, this question is never addressed. Instead, it is assumed that women leaders will transform the law (and other professions) for the better, an assumption that has the odd effect of reifying gender differences in a book dedicated to dismantling the social and cultural barriers to women’s leadership. Thus, the chapter on the law advises women lawyers to work hard, be relentlessly pleasant, marry well, and sign up for leadership coaching—suggestions that can reinforce the stereotypes that contribute to gender biases in organizations. Law firms are advised to offer flextime, diversity training, and alternative career paths, even though these programs have mixed results (at best) for increasing the number of women in leadership positions. In Rhode’s view, corporations also have a role to play in diversifying the legal profession at the top. For example, she praises Walmart for insisting on diversity in the law firms that the company hires for outside legal counsel, a practice that requires law firms to promote women to leadership positions.
Here, in a nutshell, is the problem with this book. It fails to address the fact that diversity at the top does not necessarily further the cause of gender equality throughout society. Walmart recently defended itself in a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of systematically paying women less than men and denying their promotions into management. The case, which was brought on behalf of 1.5 million women, made it to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in Walmart’s favor in 2011. In this context, Walmart’s insistence on a diverse legal team is perhaps better understood as a cynical public relations ploy than evidence of their commitment to gender equality. Although this policy may benefit a handful of elite women attorneys, it does not improve the lives of working-class women.
Women’s leadership may be a necessary condition for the achievement of gender equality, but it is not a sufficient condition. Leaders in business, academia, and law are more likely to reproduce elite privilege than to challenge it. Rarely are they beholden to feminist groups; instead, they are bound to advance the interests of gendered organizations that discriminate against women. (Democratically elected political leaders may be the exception, although the current situation is not especially encouraging in this regard.) Lacking a critique of the reproduction of elite privilege, Women and Leadership falls short of achieving its goals. It offers helpful how-to advice for women to reach the top of their professions without furthering our understanding of gender inequality.