Are girl dads the best bosses?

"A number of people online are declaring that some of the best bosses in the workforce are middle-aged dads who have daughters. The reason? Male bosses with daughters are more likely to see the world through their daughters' eyes, sympathize with women's struggles, and go to bat for them when it comes to promotions and pay raises. There's research that backs up some of these ideas, and it's something more people have noticed anecdotally and started discussing online, Fortune recently reported."

"As one TikTok user describes the appeal: "He's no longer the main character in his own life," adding that a girl-dad boss has more awareness around issues like "sexism, confidence gaps, unfair expectations. . . . He listens more, he's less reactive, he's got perspective. That self-awareness arc makes for a better leader." Another proud TikTok user gushed, looking pleased as punch: "When your Gen X girl dad mentor at work tells you he's proud of you.""

"It's not just hearsay-data has long backed this up. Having a daughter can also push male CEOs toward greater support for women in the workplace as they become more attuned to the struggles they face, research from the Stockholm School of Economics, Erasmus University, and Jönköping University confirmed. A male CEO having a daughter, rather than a son, correlates with a 4% increase in female directors and an 11% increase in female employees, the research found."

Male managers who are fathers to daughters often adopt perspectives shaped by their daughters' experiences, increasing empathy for women's workplace challenges. Such managers report greater awareness around sexism, confidence gaps, and unfair expectations, and they tend to listen more, react less, and show increased self-awareness. Online anecdotes and social-media posts celebrate girl-dad mentors who express pride and support. Academic research links having daughters to measurable changes in corporate gender composition: male CEOs with daughters correlate with higher shares of female directors and employees. Additional studies tie partners with more daughters to increased hiring of women and improved firm performance.

Read at Fast Company