Mansplaining: A Subtle Act, A Loud Impact

Introduction

Imagine walking into a meeting prepared and confident, only to be interrupted by someone rephrasing your idea as if it were their own. Over time, repeated experiences like this can erode confidence and leave you feeling dismissed and unheard. These are symptoms of a deeper issue, a toxic dynamic embedded in organizational systems and culture.

This phenomenon, widely known as mansplaining, doesn’t just hurt in the moment. Left unaddressed, it contributes to systemic inequities and personal trauma. But like any diagnosis, understanding the symptoms and root causes is the first step to effective treatment.

What Is Mansplaining?

Mansplaining isn’t just explaining; it’s explaining with a dose of condescension, often assuming the other person knows less simply because of their gender, race, or another characteristic. It reflects broader systemic power imbalances, reinforcing stereotypes that devalue the knowledge and expertise of certain groups.

Although it may seem trivial to some, mansplaining is a deeper issue that perpetuate bias and inequality.

The Link Between Mansplaining and Trauma

Trauma isn’t always the result of a single catastrophic event; it can also arise from repeated experiences that erode a person’s sense of safety, worth, and autonomy. Mansplaining, as a behavior, can contribute to both systemic challenges and individual trauma in the following ways:

• Undermining Confidence: It dismisses or invalidates a person’s knowledge, causing them to question their own abilities.
• Reinforcing Marginalization: It perpetuates power imbalances, especially for those who already face societal disadvantages.
• Triggering Past Experiences: It can evoke memories of prior incidents of dismissal, condescension, or disrespect.
• Creating Toxic Environments: It fosters hostile or unproductive dynamics in personal and professional spaces, affecting overall well-being.

A Real-World Example

Consider a woman presenting a strategy she has spent weeks developing, only to be interrupted by a colleague who rephrases her idea as if it were his own. Repeated incidents like this have an impact on your confidence and discourage participation, reflecting a systemic failure to foster environments where all voices are respected.

Mansplaining Beyond Gender

In my book, "Leading with Psychological Safety: 52 Essential Practices for a Year of Building Trust and Empowering Teams," I touch on how mansplaining is not exclusive to men. Women, too, can adopt these behaviors as they climb corporate ladders. Often, they’ve learned from the same systems that taught them success comes from stepping on others to get ahead. This perpetuates a toxic cycle where undermining others becomes normalized, regardless of gender. Addressing mansplaining means addressing the root causes within these systems, not just the individuals who engage in the behavior.

The Cumulative Impact

Mansplaining rarely occurs in isolation. It often combines with microaggressions, gaslighting, and overt discrimination, creating toxic environments that contribute to anxiety, depression, and diminished professional growth.

How to Treat the Root Cause

Addressing mansplaining requires systemic change, not just surface-level fixes. Organizations must audit workplace biases, foster psychological safety, educate leaders on inclusivity, and provide resources such as mentorship and mental health support for those impacted.

See the mind map below for a structured overview of symptoms, impacts, and solutions.

Conclusion

This has happened to me and so many others too many times to count since joining the workforce. My reason for sharing it is simple: it is time for this to stop. In my book, "Leading with Psychological Safety: 52 Essential Practices for a Year of Building Trust and Empowering Teams," I touch on how behaviors like mansplaining are often perpetuated by systems that reward stepping on others to climb the corporate ladder. Women, too, may adopt these patterns, not out of malice but because they’ve learned that this is how the system operates. Addressing these issues requires not only individual accountability but a commitment to dismantling the root causes embedded in organizational cultures.

Mansplaining may seem like a small annoyance, but its cumulative impact can be profound. By addressing the systemic causes and fostering cultures of respect and inclusion, we can mitigate its harmful effects and create environments where every voice is valued. Psychological safety isn’t just a buzzword, it’s the foundation of thriving teams and organizations.

Over the years, I’ve addressed mansplaining head-on, respectfully calling it out, sharing links to easy to comprehend workflow diagrams like this one Mansplaining, explained in one simple chart to foster understanding. But I’ve learned this: no amount of effort will matter if someone isn’t self-aware or open to change. As the saying goes, “The teacher appears when the student is ready.” Until that readiness comes, I will continue to encourage women and others experiencing mansplaining to stand up for themselves.

Say it confidently: “I wasn’t finished. Could you hear me out first?” Advocate for your voice, knowing that their response reflects their mindset, not your worth. Their behavior is their burden to carry, not yours.

As Don Miguel Ruiz teaches in The Four Agreements (a book I read on January 1, 2025), “Don’t take it personally.” The book was a good reminder of the things I can do better too.

To those who call themselves allies: allyship demands action, not whispers. Leave your comfort zone. Speak up. Say, “She was not finished speaking,” or “Thanks for reinforcing her idea.” True allies don’t stand silent, they show up, visibly and vocally, when it matters.

Call to Action: Have you experienced mansplaining in your career? How did you address it? Share your stories and strategies in the comments. Let’s learn from each other and create workplaces where everyone feels heard and respected.

Imagine the power of actively supporting one another to create environments where every voice is valued, as we work together toward shared goals.

Let's keeping rising, ascending and transcending together!

Ashe. Ase.

#AscendandTranscend