Ambition: What’s Testosterone Therapy Got to Do With It?

According to McKinsey Research, women hold 53 percent of corporate entry-level jobs. That percentage drops to 37 percent for mid-management positions and 26 percent for vice presidents and senior managers. Are women dropping out? Or just not making it? When published, a recent survey stirred considerable controversy over the finding that fewer women than men acknowledge being highly ambitious. But that finding simply begs the question of why. Have women “dropouts” really lost ambition? Or are they redefining success? Many men tend to think of success in terms of a business culture reminiscent of the “Mad Men” era. Women, on the other hand, seem to be seeking more than just the C-suite—women are redefining success and realigning what it means to be ambitious.

Recent headlines have riveted the female population, calling the ambition of women into question. The fervor was sparked by a poll conducted by TIME and Real Simple magazines on how men and women define success and ambition. According to the survey, 51 percent of men and 38 percent of women describe . .. . Read More