Women and people of color often believe they need another certification to be qualified, while men confidently pursue roles with fewer prerequisites. This highlights a systemic confidence and perception gap, not a competence gap, where women over-prepare to compensate for perceived shortcomings.

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.

Men are praised as "ambitious" for pursuing wealth, while women are often labeled "greedy." This, combined with a scarcity mindset where women view each other as competition for limited top roles ("tokenism"), creates a culture of silence around earnings, unlike men who see ample room at the top for everyone.

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.

Women are often taught that there is virtue in not taking credit and staying in the background. This social conditioning encourages self-erasure, preventing them from claiming their power and perpetuating a system where their contributions are overlooked.

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.

Career challenges faced by professional women are not random but fall into seven recurring patterns or "power gaps." These include not recognizing accomplishments, isolating from support, and acquiescing to mistreatment. Identifying which gaps are present allows for targeted, effective action.

Research shows women often have more mentors than men, but men have significantly more sponsors. Mentors offer advice, while sponsors use their influence to advocate and create opportunities. This distinction is critical for advancement, as sponsorship provides access to roles that mentorship alone cannot.

Public discourse comfortably accepts generalizations that women are better doctors, but similar statements about men being better entrepreneurs due to risk-aggression are met with discomfort. This reveals a bias in how gender-based attributes are perceived and discussed.