Masculine Energy Culture Costs Companies Billions

A corporate culture that prioritizes "masculine energy," characterized by aggression and risk-taking, is costing companies billions of dollars annually by undervaluing crucial team-building and support work, which disproportionately falls to women. This phenomenon was highlighted in January 2025 when Mark Zuckerberg suggested the corporate world needed more "masculine energy" and a greater celebration of aggression. Despite the waning influence of the political movement associated with such ideals, as evidenced by Donald Trump's declining approval ratings, the underlying corporate ethos persists.

Women's representation in leadership positions remains low, with only 11.2% of Fortune 500 companies led by women in the current year, a record high. Furthermore, women hold 29% of C-suite roles, a figure that has remained stagnant since 2024, according to the "Women in the Workplace" report by McKinsey and LeanIn.org. This indicates a continued corporate environment where behaviors like bragging, displays of dominance, and aggressive risk-taking are rewarded, while cooperation and caution are often perceived as weaknesses. This contrasts with trends in the labor market, where sectors with a high female workforce, such as private education and healthcare, have seen significant job growth. In 2025, these sectors, where women hold 77% of jobs, added approximately 800,000 positions, while other sectors collectively lost about 500,000 jobs, based on an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

The economic contribution of work traditionally performed by women, often termed "care work," is frequently mislabeled as "low productivity" by economists primarily because these roles are associated with lower wages. However, this perspective overlooks the fundamental role such work plays in sustaining the productivity of the entire workforce. For instance, the ability of professionals in finance or accounting to perform their jobs is contingent on the availability of childcare and other support services, which are predominantly provided by women. This same logic extends to internal company dynamics, where tasks essential for team cohesion, such as mentoring, organizing workflows, and conflict resolution, are disproportionately assigned to women and often go unrecognized and unrewarded. In contrast, self-promotion and assertive behaviors are frequently equated with leadership qualities, as detailed by Linda Babcock and her coauthors in "The No Club."

Companies that cultivate a culture centered on dominance and aggressive competition are ultimately incurring significant financial penalties. Two French authors, Lucile Peytavin and Élise Fabing, have attempted to quantify the financial impact of this "masculine energy" culture. Their research, detailed in their work, suggests that the economic cost associated with undervaluing collaborative and supportive labor, while overemphasizing aggressive and individualistic traits, amounts to billions of dollars. This is because the essential, often invisible, work that underpins team functionality and overall organizational productivity is not adequately valued or compensated, leading to inefficiencies and a failure to harness the full potential of the workforce.