“There are more dynamics women need to be aware of,” says Eagly. “In terms of gender stereotypes, we see men as the assertive, decisive sex—and women as the kinder, nicer sex. So for women, there are dangers for her if she starts ordering everyone around. Maybe a guy could get away with it, because people will think: Oh well that’s just the way guys are, right? But if a woman used that style—dominant, assertive, and the do-it-my-way attitude—that would just not work for a woman. She’d get a lot of resistance.”
