It reminds me of recently when just before Alberta Premier Alison Redford resigned, one of her MLAs broke ranks, went against her and said in a statement that she was 'not a nice person'. My mom and I picked up on it right away - she's the Premier and leader of her party - why should her being a 'nice person' matter? Except that this guy expected that women were 'nice'...that is how he was socialized apparently and he was having a hard time seeing a woman as a politician in power. My dad didn't pick up on it the same way my mom and I did...probably because he was socialized in the same manner (oh, did we have a conversation then, LOL).

Anyway, good article, thanks for posting it!

I wonder how many more examples there are of this kind of thing.

Are you suggesting that a man has never gone to power and then someone below that man breaks ranks? It happens all the time in the world. Men disagree with each other and fight against each other (sometimes to the death and go to war) all the time. Why are you so shocked when a woman gets to power, and someone breaks ranks?

Anyone who fights and gains power will have detractors. If Hillary Clinton is elected president, and the GOP kills one of her proposals in Congress, are they doing it because they don't like Hillary's gender? No, of course. It can be a white, male progressive president and they will still shoot the proposal down. It's politics.

I'm not saying it's right or it's fair. Im just saying this is how the real world works. It has always worked this way whether women are running things or men are running things. That's not going to change either....at least not in our lifetimes.

It wasn't about him breaking ranks, it was his description of the Premier that was insulting. I talked to many women who picked up on the tone of his statement immediately.

even bother if it was a man. Please cite a comporable example where it is scandalous for a man not to be "nice".

People are scandlaized here when I am not nice. Mean people are scandalized- becuase they think it's their job, not mine, to mouth off. HA.

certainly NOT in positions of power-especially power over men.

big part of the problem there.

Did the meaning of variable change sometime recently? Either it's too early and my brain isn't firing properly, or I haven't heard variable referred to as 'adaptation to norms'.

male or female.

I don't see those qualities as signs of good leadership, either.

When I was working in a job long ago, I had 7 employees who had to deal with me as their boss. Nothing like heading up a big organization, of course. I talked to the people there about things that made the job suck for them and, if there were things that could be addressed by my bosses, they were. This included letting a woman bring her sick child to the workplace when she didn't have any more paid sick days - we weren't around the public and her kid could bring in his big wheel and run it up and down this long hall with no traffic outside the area.

I had three guys working for me. Two were just fine. One was a problem, was constantly on the defensive, and finally outright told me that no man should work for a woman. I said, well, I disagree, but if you demonstrate the ability to deal with others and the work, when I leave you could likely be chosen for my job b/c you'll know what's required to do it - i.e. less training, upheaval, etc. for the biz. (I knew I would be moving within a year or so.)

So I left and recommended him, even tho he had demonstrated he was something of a jerk - but he also demonstrated he could do the non-employee supervisory part of the job. After I left, the people who worked there said he was an overbearing ass to people who worked in the area - and he had problems with one of his bosses - who was a woman. So he didn't last.

I think effective leaders are not jerks toward the people who work for them - they don't make people hate going to work every day - they work to make everyone's experience better.

It wouldn't matter if it's a male or female.