Gen Z women in the workplace are finding common ground: apparently, “girl dads” make the best bosses.
And the flood of cautionary TikTok tales has led them to take stock that the best bosses they’ve had are men with daughters. They’re even filming themselves celebrating finding out that’s their new manager.
“POV: corporate girlies when they find a male manager that’s a girl dad,” wrote one user, @MissBlazer, on TikTok. The video shows her gleefully twirling in a chair.
#stitch with @MissBlazer | Corporate + Life Have you ever had a girl dad boss? Let me know in the comments. ⬇️ #girldad #greatbosses #leadershiptips #corporatetiktok
“The best bosses/coworkers are girl dads,” reads one of the top comments—and most replies seem to agree.
Another user, @sweeet_carolline, even blasted female leaders: “No one will hate you more than an older woman in corporate America who’s jealous of you.”
no one will hate you more than an older woman in corporate america who’s jealous of you #corporateamerica #femaleempowerment #coworkers
The theory behind it? Male bosses with daughters tend to see the world through their daughters’ eyes, which fosters a more empathetic leadership style toward women—or what @selenarezvani calls “built-in sensitivity training.”
“There’s science to back this up,” she said, while explaining data that found male bosses with daughters statistically hire and promote women more—and the gender pay gap is smaller at companies run by “girl dads.”
The Gen Z women circulating on social media who have a hunch that their boss was more accommodating with a daughter may be right.
“We found that, overall, these groups tend to perform better at companies led by CEOs who have daughters,” the researchers concluded, noting that having a daughter makes a male CEO nearly one-third more likely to adopt CSR practices similar to those of female CEOs, who are typically more inclined to prioritize social and environmental responsibility.
“Overall, CEOs with daughters tend to show a stronger attachment to society at large, and concern for the well-being of stakeholders—even those who are not their shareholders,” they continued.
