Colorful Leadership: Perceptions of Intersectional Leaders

Researchers have described the journey to leadership for women as a “labyrinth,” an obstacle-course of sorts (Eagly & Carli, 2007). One of the barriers to attaining leadership for women is the cultural assignment of traits of leaders being aligned more closely with traits ascribed to males (Carli & Eagly, 2016). The present study seeks to examine perceptions that are associated with intersectional leaders and whether their leadership style impacts how they are perceived. A total of 204 participants were recruited from introductory psychology classes and a snowball sample. Participants completed the survey through their own electronic device. Results indicated that there are implicit biases concerning leadership styles for female leaders, biases surrounding leaders of color, and gender stereotypes. These findings reveal that there is work to be done for males and females alike to recognize their implicit biases and commit to taking the steps in order to undo those prejudices.