Women continue climbing the rungs of power—building their ranksas heads of state, corporate leaders and media influencers—buttheir minority status means they still face harsh, limitingassessments based on their gender.“Women are being judged more, even by other women,” said ValerieYoung, Ed.D., author of The Secret Thoughts ofSuccessful Women. While male leaders are allowed to havecomplex personalities, powerful women are often summed up byhackneyed stereotypes that undermine them and theirpower.

ForbesWoman tracked down many ofthe world's most powerful women, toask: What is your least favorite stereotype about powerfulwomen? Gender and career experts also weighed in on thedangerous notions about female success and how they seep into thecollective subconscious. The following represent the 10 most hated and pervasivestereotypes.