When something goes wrong at a large company, the brand is blamed (e.g., Amazon). But for female-led companies where the founder is the face, Jacqueline Johnson notes criticism is intensely personal, targeting her directly rather than the business entity.

Despite women earning nearly 60% of college degrees—the primary qualification for members of Congress—they hold only 26% of seats. This statistical disparity suggests that American voters still subconsciously conflate stereotypically male traits like height and a deep voice with leadership, creating a systemic bias against female candidates.

Research highlights a significant bias in promotion decisions. Men are often judged on their perceived capabilities two years in the future, allowing for deficits. In contrast, women are typically evaluated strictly against their current skill set, penalizing them for not already possessing every requirement of the role.

Societal applause for women excelling in male domains like CEO leadership, while downplaying nurturing roles, subtly implies that masculine pursuits are inherently more valuable. This reveals a form of patronizing sexism from within progressive circles.

Men often admire extremely lean physiques in other men because they represent a high-status signal of discipline and difficulty. This creates a perception gap, as women may view the same physique as less formidable or as a sign of an unhealthy obsession with looks.

A study highlighted by Michael Lewis found men systematically overestimate their knowledge, while women underestimate theirs. This cognitive bias is a major risk in investing and leadership. The anecdote of a man confidently miscorrecting "Marie Curie" to "Mariah Carey" perfectly illustrates this dangerous self-assurance.

Society values men and women differently based on biological realities. A woman's value, tied to beauty and fertility, is highest when young and must be preserved. A man is born with little inherent value and must spend his life building it through achievement and competence.

Voters subconsciously conflate physical traits like height and deep voices with leadership qualities. This heuristic, termed 'awesome dad energy,' provides a significant, often unacknowledged advantage to male candidates who fit the archetype, revealing a deep-seated sexism in how leadership potential is perceived.

The "swag gap" critique, where women lament their male partners' lack of style, is a form of failed cross-sex mind reading. It applies female standards of appearance-based status to men, who often signal high status through other means, including indifference to appearance.