when women assert themselves, they run the risk of being seen as "competent but cold".those who choose to affirm their competence through expressing agency must do so at the cost of being perceived as group-focused. female leaders who do this violate the gender assigned stereotypes, which is why women in the study were found to have less effective social skills. the double bind between competence and being well liked ultimately leads to backlash for female leaders, as they are negatively perceived if they stray too far into masculine leadership styles or feminine practices.