Hillary Clinton On The Likability Problem For Women In Power

Hillary Clinton gave her first interview after losing the Presidential election at the 2017 New York Times' Women in the World Summit, where she spoke about her experience of being a woman frontrunner for the most powerful position in the world.

With men, success and ambition are correlated with likability, so the more successful a man is, the more likable he becomes! With a woman, guess what? It’s the exact opposite

Clinton said that there is research behind the phenomenon of likability and ambition in men and women.

“With men, success and ambition are correlated with likability, so the more successful a man is, the more likable he becomes! With a woman, guess what? It’s the exact opposite. So the more successful and therefore ambitious a woman is, the less likable she becomes. That’s the inverse correlation that lies at the heart of a lot of the attacks and the misogyny.”

Clinton said that the likability should not deter women from running from office. She said that we need more young people and more young women participating in politics.

But she also warns that they should be ready. "It is a not a new phenomenon but it feels new and painful every time it happens to you,” she said.

Clinton also said that there is a lot to be concerned about as an American, referring to the Trump administration 

She also spoke about how when her job as Secretary of State was over, her approval rating was through the roof. But it was a job that she was asked to do by a man, she says. "And then what happened?! Oh my gosh, by the time they were finished with me I was Typhoid Mary." Her advice: toughen up, have a thick skin, take criticism seriously, but not personally.

"Success and likability are positively correlated for men and negatively correlated for women," says Sheryl Sandberg in her book Lean In.

Likeable or not, both these women didn't let other people's perceptions of them stop them from reaching for the top!

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