Season 5, Episode 6: Are Women the Worst Bosses?

In this episode, co-hosts Deborah and Cathy ask a very specific question about a perplexing phenomenon they’ve experienced. Why do we hear so many complaints (very often from other women) that the worst boss they ever had was, in fact, a woman? Deborah and Cathy break down the caricatures of women bosses - think Miranda Priestly or Selina Meyer - and contrast those with reality. What’s at play here and how do we stop the negative stereotyping from women and men? Deborah and Cathy discuss the role of bias, including confirmation bias and an expectation for women to “play nice,” and consider whether these expectations and biases create unfair standards for women bosses. As always, they discuss solutions to make the workplace fairer for everyone, including giving our bosses a fair shot.