Women with balls of steel

Not surprising then, the nicknames given to those women who do succeed in a man’s world emphasise their macho credentials. Carole Galley was ‘The Ice Maiden’, allegedly for her ruthlessness and chilly efficiency. Diane Thompson once described herself as a ‘woman with balls, balls of steel’. Nicola Horlick was widely referred to as ‘Super Woman’ and Margaret Thatcher is said to have revelled in her reputation as ‘The Iron Lady’. Cute as such hyperbole may be, the underlying suggestion is there is something just slightly strange, not quite female – maybe even not quite human – about these women.

‘It’s not as if there are many female role models to take your cues from,’ said one City woman who declined to be named. ‘If I’m butch it’s because that’s the only way I can see myself reaching my goal. My bosses might not ‘get’ women, but I’m going to make damned sure that they ‘get’ me. I talk the same language as they do. I work as hard and I play as hard.’ Adopting the language and mannerisms of your male colleagues may be one way to fit in, but be warned, there’s a flip side. This woman confesses the majority of men in her office are convinced she’s a lesbian. ‘The problem is that they like lesbians even less than women,’ she ruefully admitted.

Choosing the right style can, unfortunately, matter more than what you can bring to the job. Woe betides the woman who is construed to be too feminine in her approach. Liz Forgan had only recently been made director of BBC Radio in 1993, when an open letter she sent to her staff was leaked to the press:

‘I’ve been listening like crazy for the past few weeks and I am simply knocked out by the treasure house of interest, revelation and pleasure you are putting out,’ she wrote. ‘Please treat my office like Waterloo Station… stop in on your way to places and talk to me about what you think.’

Next page: putting the knife in