The Confidence Myth

Is the ‘confidence gap’ a psychological deficit in women or a rational response to a biased workplace? In her latest book, Ginka Toegel, Professor of Organizational Behavior and Leadership at IMD Business School, challenges the pervasive narrative that women need to "fix" themselves, arguing instead for a fundamental shift in how organisations recognise and reward true competence.

Why you should read this

• Evidence-Based: Moves beyond anecdotes to use 13 years of first-hand data from female executives.
• Systemic Focus: Shifts the burden of change from the individual woman to the leadership culture.
• Actionable for Allies: Provides concrete tools for male leaders and DEI advocates to offer more effective support.
• Psychological Depth: Leverages Toegel’s background as a psychotherapist to explain the "why" behind workplace behaviours.

According to Professor Toegel we’ve been solving the wrong problem and that the key to gender equality is not for women to ‘lean in’ and find their inner confidence which puts the burden of change on the individual woman. In The Confidence Myth: How Women Leaders Can Break Free from Gendered Perceptions, she argues that the "confidence gap" is less about a lack of belief in women and more about a systemic failure to recognise competence.

For this International Women’s Day, with its central pillars of Rights, Justice and Action, Toegel’s research offers a roadmap for leaders and mangers to move beyond "awareness" towards behavioral and systemic action. She doesn't just want managers to understand the myth; she wants them to change how they lead.

Moving Beyond ‘Fix the Woman’

For decades, leadership development has operated on a "fix the woman" model with a focus on coaching female executives to be more assertive or to overcome "imposter syndrome." Drawing on thirteen years of experience at IMD and her background as a psychotherapist, Toegel turns this management orthodoxy on its head. She argues that what we often diagnose as a psychological deficit in women is actually a rational response to a biased environment.

The Myth of Risk Aversion

One of the most valuable chapters for managers and C-suite leaders deconstructs the stereotype of female risk aversion. Toegel presents a compelling case for "Risk Awareness." Her research shows that women aren't inherently more afraid of risk; rather, they are acutely aware of the "backlash costs" of failure. In many corporate cultures, a man’s mistake is viewed as a learning curve, while a woman’s mistake is frequently cited as evidence of her lack of suitability for the role.

The Double Bind and the Ally’s Role

The book also discusses the "double bind" or the phenomenon where women are penalised for being too dominant (the "likability trap") but overlooked if they are too collaborative. Toegel doesn’t just identify the problem; she provides a practical framework for:

• Navigating Microaggressions: Using scripts to manage challenging workplace conversations.
• Managing Perceptions: Strategies to display competence effectively without falling into "performance traps."
• Empowering Male Allies: Specific advice for men to stop advising women to "be more confident" and start auditing the cultural environments that suppress that confidence.

Conclusion

The Confidence Myth is an essential, science-backed critique of modern workplace culture that moves the conversation from individual psychology to organisational design. For any leader committed to building a truly equitable future of work, The Confidence Myth is a necessary reminder that we don't have a confidence crisis - we have a perception crisis.

It’s time for organisations to evolve, shifting the focus from individual self-help to the collective creation of a culture where competence is the true measure of leadership.