Women Didn’t Ruin the Workplace: We’re Rebuilding It for the Better

Continuing the Conversation from LinkedIn. Getty Image

This blog continues the conversation from a recent LinkedIn post I shared in response to the provocative New York Times headline, “Did Liberal Feminism Ruin the Workplace?” If you haven’t read that post yet, you’ll find the original thoughts and community response there. This expands on those ideas with data, insights, and a broader look at how women are reshaping the workplace for the better.

Last week, The New York Times dropped a headline that lit up every corner of professional social media:“Did Liberal Feminism Ruin the Workplace?”(NYT Source)

Predictably, the internet responded. Some defended the premise. Others raged at it. The subtext? That when women entered the workforce, particularly leadership, we made it “too soft,” “too emotional,” and yes, “too feminine.”

Let’s be clear: this isn’t journalism, it’s bait. But it still matters, because behind the ridiculous headline is a very real tension: the workplace is changing. And some people don’t like it.

As a woman who has built revenue organizations, coached sellers, and led high-performing sales teams, let me offer a different perspective:

Women didn’t ruin the workplace. We revealed where it was overdue for evolution.

Here’s What Actually Happened When Women Earned a Seat at the Sales Table

Let’s break this down with specifics, not sentiment. As more women showed up in high-impact roles, especially in sales, we didn’t dismantle performance cultures. We elevated them.

🔥 Harassment Can No Longer Hide

The presence and voices of women brought light to behaviors long swept under the rug. According to the EEOC, reports of workplace sexual harassment rose sharply post-#MeToo, not because harassment increased, but because silence decreased.

Truth creates friction. But it also creates progress.

🔥 “Results at Any Cost” Leadership Was Finally Challenged

Old-school sales leadership glorified burnout, overwork, and toxic “win at all costs” mentalities. Women helped usher in a new standard: one that values not just what gets done, but how it gets done.

According to industry data , coaching-based leadership drives better results, yet it’s historically been underutilized. Women changed that.

🔥 Mental Health, Boundaries & Humanity Entered the Conversation

Before, burnout was a badge of honor, now, it’s a red flag.

More women in the workplace meant it became okay to talk about:

• Parental leave

• Work-life boundaries

• Stress and anxiety

• Emotional labor

And no, those aren’t weaknesses. They’re realities. A 2023 McKinsey & LeanIn.org report found that women leaders are more likely to support employee well-being and DEI, both of which are directly tied to retention and performance.

🔥 Coaching > Commanding

Sales is no longer about who can shout the loudest. Leadership is evolving from dominance to direction. From fear to feedback. From compliance to coaching.

Harvard Business Review reported that women outperformed men in 13 of 19 core leadership competencies, especially in areas like communication, empathy, and adaptability, qualities essential in a modern, matrixed business world(HBR Source).

🔥 Sales Cultures Shifted from Fear-Based to People-First

“Quota crushing” will always matter, but sustainable performance depends on psychological safety, not pressure tactics.

Google’s Project Aristotle found that the #1 trait of high-performing teams is psychological safety, not raw talent. Women are helping build cultures where people don’t just survive, they thrive.

What’s Really Happening: Evolution Makes People Uncomfortable

When any underrepresented group gains visibility or voice, the system shakes. That’s not a woman problem. That’s a leadership problem.

Because here’s the uncomfortable truth: If your workplace culture collapses when women are present, it wasn’t strong to begin with.

What Contemporary Leadership Actually Looks Like

Let’s move past the masculinity vs. femininity debate.

The future of work and especially sales leadership isn’t gendered. It’s contemporary.

Here’s the shift:

Outdated Leadership	Contemporary Leadership
Command and control	Coach and collaborate
Results at any cost	Results with integrity
Silence on burnout	Open dialogue on mental health
Lone wolf mentality	Team performance and inclusion
Top-down feedback	Two-way, real-time communication
Fear-based motivation	Psychological safety and challenge

Today’s leaders need directness + empathy, accountability + compassion, and high-performance + humanity.

That’s not a weakness. That’s strength redefined.

Women Didn’t Break the Workplace, We’re Helping Rebuild It

So instead of debating whether feminism “broke” the workplace, maybe we should talk about what we’re building in its place:

• Cultures that recognize people are human beings, not machines.

• Leadership that is tough and transparent.

• Teams that value psychological safety and performance.

• Workplaces where different voices don’t just exist, they lead.

Women didn’t ask for a softer workplace. We asked for a smarter, healthier, more honest one.

And we’re not done yet.

It's Time to Move the Conversation Forward

The idea that women “ruined” work isn’t just clickbait, it’s a distraction. It centers discomfort instead of growth. Fear instead of opportunity.

Let’s tell the truth:

• Women didn’t break the workplace.

• Women revealed what was broken.

• And now we’re helping rebuild it into something worth staying in.

We don’t need to act like the old guard to win. We just need to lead like ourselves and let that be enough, because it is.