Overcoming young women's fear of success.

Talented young women are achieving academic goals, pursuing professional careers and reaching their potential at unprecedented levels. Yet many female students struggle with their successes. They're concerned that their accomplishments will compromise their own sense of femininity and image.

If women are to continue making progress in all fields, leaders must help them overcome their fear of success.

Jessica Hegr is an assistant academic counselor in the athletic department by day and a graduate student in educational leadership by night, both at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She spoke at the school's Women in Educational Leadership conference held in September.

Luck is no cause for success

Hegr described the feelings of a fictional female named Anne. After first-term finals, Anne discovers that she's in the top of her class in medical school, performing well in what is obviously a competitive field. But Anne wonders what led to her success. Was it her hard work? Or maybe other students didn't study as much? She might even believe it was just luck.

Compare Anne to her male peer, John, who is also at the top of his medical school class after first-term finals. What led to John's success? Society and most men would answer "intelligence and ability."

Hegr described the research of Matina Horner, who studied young women and the achievement motive in the 1960s. Horner first defined the motive among women to avoid success because "consciously or unconsciously the girl equates intellectual achievement with the loss of femininity." She used Anne and John to contrast their peers' reaction to their success.