'*WONDERS -CORPORATE- WOMEN*

A recent analysis of 2,600 executives found that men and women did not differ on multiple areas, including personal skills, analytical and managerial skills and general ability. Yet-

Yet comparing women and men with similar skills and talents, women were much less likely to become chief executives.

ONE REASON, other studies have shown, is that they unconsciously assume good leaders are male, and we have mixed feelings about women who have successful careers.

The typical chief executive is six feet tall with a deep voice - a typical women doesn't match the image.

In an experiment, respondents said someone named Eric who offered new ideas was a natural leader, while someone named Erica who offered the same ideas was not.

MEN are seeing as having leadership qualities like gravitas, while women are seen as having supporting-role qualities like dependability.

When women ask for promotions or raises, they're more likely to be called bossy or aggressive, find  Lean In and Mckinsey.

Men are more likely to get them without asking.

''It's all about the culture of organizations and the broader cultural attitudes towards women, and the difficulty all of us have, research would suggest, really respecting a women in a position of authority,'' Ms. Ely, the Harvard Business School professor said.

Researchers have suggested various ways to promote more female leaders. It starts with having women at the top :

They hire and promote more women into executive positions. Managers could receive bonuses contingent on promoting women.

Investors can demand that companies diversify their ranks. Hiring can be standarized, so people don't pick candidates based on their irrelevant things like height.

Companies that won't to attract female executives could include spousal job searches and child care in the hiring package. They can also find ways to minimize the negative effects for people who take care breaks.

But researchers and recruiters say that real change will only come from addressing bias at a more fundamental level - and changing the way we think is significantly harder.

''Many companies grab on to it as the issue, so they put in lots of great things,'' Ms. Stellings said. ''But they don't address the underlying biases that make a difference in getting to that rarefied C suite.''

!WOW! thanks, yet again, author and researcher Claire Cain Miller.