How the ’empathy trap’ keeps women out of leadership roles |
04-21-2026ASK THE EXPERTS
How the ’empathy trap’ keeps women out of leadership roles
The problem is not awareness. It is permission for inequity to persist.
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Power has a way of narrowing progress—and the narrowing follows a pattern.
Early in my career, a senior colleague took credit for ideas and work I had shared while onboarding him to the team. It wasn’t subtle: same thinking, same framework, different owner. When I raised it, I was told to assume good intentions.........