July has been a noteworthy month for American politics. In addition to Trump’s attempted assassination and Biden’s election exit, Vice President Kamala Harris has become THE nominee for the Democratic party for the 2024 election presenting the opportunity to break the glass ceiling in becoming the first female President.

Since entering the battle for the oval office, Harris has been under heavy scrutiny from her political opponents and right-wing pundits questioning her capacity for leadership. UCL School of Management Associate Professor Cydney Hurston Dupree addresses the media backlash mocking Harris’s speaking style and instead presents it as her advantage.

Her research reveals that Black women leaders are penalised more for dominant language associated with negative traits like being rude or unlikeable, a pattern not familiar with their white or male counterparts. The bias from both voters and the media pressures Black female leaders to adopt a warmer demeanour to avoid negative judgement.

Dupree attributes Harris’s ‘quick laugh, seemingly easy grin and her references to wellness and her family’ to a ‘warmth’ in her leadership style and argues that it can help her dodge the backlash of women showing a dominant leadership style. Harris’s warm communication style is thus not a sign of weakness but a tactical decision to navigate a political landscape with racial and gender biases, making her approach effective in her quest for higher office.

Read the full LA Times article or find out more about Cydney Dupree’s research.