What is tall poppy syndrome? Experts explain trending social phenomenon - does it affect more women than men?

There are many different kinds of office politics which can occur in workplaces, and one of the biggest ongoing conversations is the debate around the presence of the gender pay gap and also gender-based stereotyping.

In June, the government dropped its commitment to a wage transparency trial and recent research also found that not only do women work for free two months of the year but also that the gender pay gap widens “dramatically” after women have children.

Now, a new study has found that the number of female chief executives who were either fired or quit hit a record high last year. A report by recruiter Russell Reynolds found this out, and some experts believe this is because female leaders are more likely to fall victim to “tall poppy syndrome”, as critics are more likely to be negative towards successful women.

But, what exactly is tall poppy syndrome, does it really affect more women than men, what can be done about this syndrome and why do people feel the need to criticise others? NationalWorld spoke to a number of employment, workplace and health experts to find out all the answers you need.

What is tall poppy syndrome?

Tall poppy syndrome a social phenomenon which describes resentment or criticism towards someone who is seen as successful, or they’re doing something that sets them apart from the crowd. Geraldine Joaquim, a clinical hypnotherapist and wellness coach, says it is "nothing new but it is perhaps more ‘in your face’ with today’s social media landscape."

Social scientist Juliet Landau-Pope goes even further with her description of the syndrome, and told NationalWorld it is "akin to bullying in the workplace". "It undermines morale and motivation, and can have a huge impact on productivity," she says. She believes it takes many forms that can be categorised in two ways.

In milder cases, it can mean ignoring or downplaying the achievement of a colleague. For example, she says, one of her clients told her how disappointed she was that members of her team hadn’t congratulated her on a promotion. In other cases, however, it can be less innocuous such as publicly questioning whether a colleague deserves a promotion or making light of their achievements. "Even when these remarks appear to be made in jest, they can be very damaging to both the individual concerned and to the organisation because it spreads negativity and distrust," she says.

Common examples of tall poppy syndrome, as listed by Sadie Restorick, expert in workplace wellbeing, for NationalWorld, include meeting exclusion, credit appropriation, and achievement dismissal.

Feminist author Virginia Mendez told NationalWorld that tall poppy syndrome can also happen unconsciously, and that women may even be validating the trend without realising it. She explains: "Women tend to 'correct' their assertiveness as way to maintain the impossible balance happening. For example, they say something in a meeting and add at the end 'I don’t know if that makes sense' or 'do you know what I mean?'; a small unconcious 'peace offering'. Women's emails are also full of apologise when they ask for something, and they minimise their input and give more credit to the group when they are praised instead of accepting it."

Does tall poppy syndrome affect more women than men?

Expert opinion is divided on whether or not tall poppy syndrome actually affects more women than men.

Joaquim says it is not geared towards either gender - or age either. For example, she says, young emerging footballers may fall foul of toxic trolling, or someone in a work environment might be subject to gossip or microaggressions, or even direct bullying or being silenced when they try to speak up – but she notes that it does appear to be prevalent within female leader circles, as per the findings of the Russell Reynolds report. She told NationalWorld that "it's because there’s still an aura of women at the top being outside the ‘norm’, so a woman who is perceived as being successful stands out."

Landau-Pope, however, believes that the gender pay gap, the limited number of women in the boardroom and general paucity of female role models at senior levels all contribute to expectations of women’s roles in the workplace. "Instead of acknowledging structural inequalities and discrimination, women have often been perceived as less ambitious or less capable as a result," she says.

She continues that feminists have been aspiring to challenge these perceived norms for generations, but can then appear to be disrupting the established order. "As a result, when women do stand out, they are often resented. I think envy is often a factor too. Ultimately, I think representation will make a huge difference. The more visible women are in senior roles, the less they will be demeaned as tall poppies."

Jenny Garrett OBE, an award-winning career coach, author and leadership trainer who works to improve people’s workplace happiness and productivity, agrees with Landau-Pope. She told NationalWorld that women can become targets for tall poppy syndrome. She adds: "They are often more stringently criticised, particularly around their personal style and approach than their male counterparts. Women have told me that they’ve felt that they have had to watch their back, perform at a higher level than their counterparts, and be perfect while also walking the tightrope of behaviours that are expected of them, such as being supportive and taking on roles that require emotional intelligence.

She continues: "When women show the same ambition that their male counterparts do they are often accused of being aggressive and out for themselves. When women express criticism  of the processes, systems or people in their organisation, there is a sense that they should be thankful to be there. When they are passionate, they are told to stop being emotional."

Restorick has spoken of her personal experience of tall poppy syndrome and says it left her feeling "disempowered". She says: "As a successful professional woman, I've navigated instances where I have felt obliged to downplay my achievements or where credit has been misplaced and redirected to a male colleague.

"At the time, it contributed to feelings of frustration and felt extremely disempowering. I think it is crucial that women surround themselves with others who uplift them rather than cut them down. In turn, this will help more women reach their potential and grow."

Mendez adds that she thinks tall poppy syndrome affects more men than women because "women are, unconciously liked less when they are assertive and successful - and by everyone not just men." She adds: "To make things more complicated women are considered less competent when they are considered nice and are likeable, which gets women into a very difficult situation to navigate because they need to be liked in order to succeed at work but are then also less likeable when they do."

Why do people criticise others?

Joaquim says tall poppy syndrome often reveals more about the people who bully, criticise or gossip than it does the ‘tall poppy’. "It’s likely there’s a foundation of insecurity or a lack of confidence in them, or it may be that someone going through their own challenges and is using these behaviours to deflect their own issues," she adds. "It doesn’t make it right, or easy to deal with, but perhaps compassion and empathy are the best ways to combat negative behaviour," she suggests.

Restorick told NationalWorld that she belives insecurities, social comparison, and fear of inadequacy all contribute to tall poppy syndrome. She also listed common reasons why more women fall foul to the syndrome. They are as follows:

• Stereotypes: Women often contend with entrenched gender stereotypes that prescribe traditional roles and traits. Success and assertiveness, particularly in male-dominated fields, can challenge these stereotypes and trigger resistance.
• Lack of representation: The scarcity of women in leadership positions contributes to the lack of visibility of successful women as "tall poppies." When women achieve status, they may stand out more prominently, making them susceptible to both positive and negative attention.
• Unconscious bias: Subtle biases may lead individuals to downplay or question the accomplishments of women.
• Societal norms: Societal expectations about humility and modesty can amplify the backlash against successful women who assert themselves confidently.

How to stop tall poppy syndrome from occuring

To help combat the issue of more women falling victim to tall poppy syndrome, Garrett called on men to be allies for their female colleagues, amplifying what they say and challenging bias in the moment.

Mendez says: "A lot of advice is telling women that they have to stop doing those unconcious things discussed above, like apologising in emails, but it is very uncontextualised advice because it ignores why they say those things and how they have been socialised to do it. Putting all the pressure on women to act differently eradicates the responsibility from the work culture."

She concludes: "It is a complex issue that needs to be looked at with awareness of the social context, as well as tools and intentionality to change it in the work culture. It is a mix of personal work that we all need to undertake but also a collective work."