Early in my career, when I launched Bemana, a female-majority recruiting firm in the male-dominated industrial sector, I knew we'd face some prejudice. And we did. While many companies were eager to partner with us, some balked at the idea, despite our combined expertise and proven track records. Yes, we were young women, but not a single one of us was underqualified. What really surprised me, though, was where the resistance came from. I expected pushback from older, more traditional business owners. Instead, it was often younger CEOs and founders who resisted us the most. At first, this felt counterintuitive -- but over time, I realized something important: many of these leaders were still trying to prove themselves. Our presence shook their sense of security. The realization was an eye-opener. What I'd seen as malicious behavior was often fear-based. It had less to do with me, than it did with them. And while it didn't erase the effects of my own marginalization, it did help me reframe the pushback and build better strategies, like approaching potential clients as partners, centering mutuality over competition.
I can really relate to this. I'm often judged by business clients and even students for my age, perceived naivety, gender or sexuality. People underestimate me before they've even seen what I can do. Like so many successful and ambitious women, I've faced workplace prejudice and been suppressed simply because I was young, despite having years of experience and results to show for it. It's a story many of us share, and I'm ready to speak openly about it.
Even after almost ten years of medical education and an internship, a physician in her early thirties was regularly second-guessed by more experienced doctors, patients who expected her age to indicate inexperience. Before senior staff could swallow her propositions, senior staff would repeat them, and this not only paralyzed her professional authority, but the patient-centred process of decision-making itself. She finally surmounted this with the outcomes of cases as further direct appendages to her therapy schemes, and, consequently, was not able to overlook the indicators of her mastery. With time, she amassed a patient base that trusted her listening and results, and the perception within the practice changed. The other example is that of a young administrator, who managed operational changes in a big health system. She had actually handled multimillion-dollar budgets, but she was continually said to be too young to head. She re-framed the discussion after achieving a measurably successful goal when she negotiated a change in scheduling that would save 18 percent of patient wait time. She ceased to lead on the basis of her resume but started leading on the basis of performance and her authority began to rest on performance instead of age. The women point to the same issue of the rejection of youth as lack of experience. They have learned that discrimination is most effectively confronted over time and when it is done via patient advocacy.
Prejudice, especially gender-based ones, isn't something that can go away overnight, and not even after you've shown substantial credentials. When I was just starting my career as a fractional/freelance marketing consultant, I'd often notice that senior (usually males) would sometimes interrupt me in meetings and opt to address the more "technical" questions to male colleagues despite the fact I was the one leading the project. I gotta admit, that was frustrating and disheartening at first. Things started to change for my mindset and my environment when I focused on, and relied on results. I made sure that my suggestions and advice were supported by data and concrete examples. Eventually, those same senior leaders started approaching me for solutions. Indeed, prejudice will always be present in any workplace, whether we like it or not, whether we want it or not. Fortunately, confidence supported by evidence can slowly but surely turn things around. The experience also motivated me to continue mentoring my younger teammates and employees (especially the girls) so they won't feel alone like I used to, if a time comes they'd face similar biases.