How much glamour can female competence handle?
This photo shows pretty much what it's all about: a pink evening gown, bare shoulders – and a hand-painted sign with a message for change.
Model or activist?
Glamour or attitude?
Woman or competence?
Why actually always this Or?
In 2008, my highly esteemed colleague Marie-Theres Euler-Rolle introduced the so-called in our shared format „Reden mit Charisma“ F-versus-K-Check a:
What do you see first – the woman or the competence?
This led to a guiding question for one's own style: What should a person perceive first when I enter a room?
Angela Merkel was considered a positive example of „C“ back then: straightforward, sober, consistent. Nothing about her style was supposed to distract from her political competence.
I understood the logic. Today, I am questioning it.
Because 18 years later, women are indeed more present—yet visibility is still a long way from power.
published on September 16th Global Gender Gap Report 2026 shows: At the entry level, the proportion of women globally is 46 percent. In the C-suites, it is only 23 percent. Representation is cut in half on the way up. At the same time, the hiring of women overall and in senior leadership positions has stagnated since 2022.
Women have become more visible. However, their access to decision-making power is not growing at the same pace.
And still their demeanor moves within a narrow corridor:
Those who dress conservatively are considered competent – but quickly come across as cold.
Those who make a glamorous entrance are noticed – but must first prove their competence.
Dealing with someone who acts decisively is difficult.
Acting with authority does not necessarily mean one is perceived as a strong leader.
The problem is not that women choose different styles. The problem begins where their style is treated like evidence in a trial regarding their competence.
That is precisely why I dedicate the topic of style in my new book „CHARISMA – Shape your life. Change the world.“ a chapter of its own.
Not as fashion advice. And not as a guide to the perfect fit.
Style is the visible language of our identity. Charisma does not arise when we turn down a side of ourselves until it no longer bothers anyone. It arises when identity, attitude, and appearance credibly come together.
Therefore, the decisive question should no longer be:
How much glamour can female competence handle?
Rather:
How much longer are we going to maintain a culture in which women feel they have to choose between the two?
On September 26th, the Vienna Climate Run will feature a first sneak peek of the new book.
