For women in leadership, especially those who don’t match the default image of a leader, perception management isn’t always optional. As outlined in a recent Harvard Business Review article, this often means confronting a specific bind: be competent and risk being seen as cold, or be likable and risk being underestimated.
Deepa Purushothaman and Colleen Ammerman, the authors of the article, offer grounded strategies for navigating this. One leader, after being told she lacked “grit” and quantitative skills, built a counter narrative. She reminded her bosses of her statistics background, took on high-stakes modeling work and enlisted mentors to echo her messaging.
Another leader, sidelined after colleagues assumed she wouldn’t relocate due to family, intentionally positioned herself as “eager and mobile,” continuously asking for new assignments and showing visible enthusiasm. Over time, her image shifted, and she landed the kind of role she’d originally been denied.
Purushothaman and Ammerman emphasize that these approaches don’t involve pretending to be someone else. Instead, they’re about choosing which aspects of your experience to amplify, and doing so deliberately. What stands out is the emotional toll: leaders are doing extra narrative work not just to be recognized for their contributions, but to correct assumptions before they can limit opportunity.
As HBR notes, it’s a reminder that visibility, for many, is not just about performance. It’s about managing how performance is interpreted by people, systems and cultures that still default to a narrow idea of what leadership looks like. For those that don’t fit the mold, the stakes are higher, and the work is harder. Taking control of that story doesn’t eliminate bias, but it does give leaders more leverage in how they’re seen and in what happens next.
The NYCPA is also addressing these shifts through its Women’s Leadership Series, led by certified coach Krysta Pogge, a CPA and former Big 4 senior manager. With a focus on sustainable success, the series equips participants with strategies for balancing professional growth and personal well-being; tools that are especially relevant as more women navigate the unique pressures in leadership.