--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Carly Fiorina took over Hewlett-Packard…" description: "\"“Carly Fiorina took over Hewlett-Packard shortly before the tech bubble burst. Anne Mulcahy got a shot at being the first female CEO at Xerox—precisely..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/jessica-bennett-37739_feminism_carly-fiorina-took-over-hewlett-packard_2929589.jpg" --- # Carly Fiorina took over Hewlett-Packard shortly before the… ![“Carly Fiorina took over Hewlett-Packard shortly before the tech bubble burst. Anne Mulcahy got a shot at being the first female CEO at Xerox—precisely as the company was being investigated by the SEC. What do these leaders have in common? They are women. Women who were given big responsibilities…” quote by Jessica Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/jessica-bennett-37739_feminism_carly-fiorina-took-over-hewlett-packard_2929589.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/jessica-bennett-37739_feminism_carly-fiorina-took-over-hewlett-packard_2929589.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/jessica-bennett-37739_feminism_carly-fiorina-took-over-hewlett-packard_2929589.jpg) > ““Carly Fiorina took over Hewlett-Packard shortly before the tech bubble burst. Anne Mulcahy got a shot at being the first female CEO at Xerox—precisely as the company was being investigated by the SEC. What do these leaders have in common? They are women. Women who were given big responsibilities right as the shit hit the fan. Which meant that when they failed—almost inevitably—the problem was blamed on them, not the surrounding circumstances.”” [Jessica Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-bennett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights that women leaders often receive blame when failures occur, especially in high‑pressure situations, revealing gender bias in accountability. **In simple terms:** Women get blamed for failures more than men. Key Takeaway Address gender bias in leadership evaluation. Themes gender leadership bias accountability crisis Mood critical insightful empowering Type social professional When to use this quote - corporate governance - media representation - HR policy Key Concepts organizational behavior gender studies media criticism Questions to Reflect On - How can organizations ensure fair attribution of responsibility? - What support structures help women leaders in crises? A Different Perspective Assigning blame solely to women can ignore systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/) ## Related quotes > [When I became CEO of Xerox 10 years ago, the company's situation was dire. Debt was mounting, the stock sinking and bankers were calling.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-m-mulcahy/when-i-became-ceo-of-xerox-10-years-ago-the-company-s-situation-was/) [Anne M. Mulcahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-m-mulcahy/) > [Being the first female CEO of one of the Big Four, I certainly intend to pay it forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-engelbert/being-the-first-female-ceo-of-one-of-the-big-four-i-certainly-intend/) [Cathy Engelbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-engelbert/) > [Do you know why it's so difficult to find a female CEO? It's because most women are sexually frustrated. Men are not because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-boustred/do-you-know-why-it-s-so-difficult-to-find-a-female-ceo-it-s-because/) Graham Boustred > [I do believe I have certain strengths as a female CEO, such as having another level of awareness through emotional intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rana-el-kaliouby/i-do-believe-i-have-certain-strengths-as-a-female-ceo-such-as-having/) [Rana el Kaliouby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rana-el-kaliouby/) > [If you go to Norway, Finland, Russia or Australia, youll see Xerox or Fuji-Xerox people, not just the name on the door. We have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-burns/if-you-go-to-norway-finland-russia-or-australia-youll-see-xerox-or/) [Ursula Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-burns/) > [Xerox's innovative technology and service offerings - delivered through an expanding distribution system with a lean and flexible business model - continue to solidify…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-m-mulcahy/xerox-s-innovative-technology-and-service-offerings-delivered-through/) [Anne M. Mulcahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-m-mulcahy/) > [By the time I stepped down as Xerox's CEO in 2009 - and as chairman in January 2010 - Xerox had become the vibrant,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-m-mulcahy/by-the-time-i-stepped-down-as-xerox-s-ceo-in-2009-and-as-chairman-in/) [Anne M. Mulcahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-m-mulcahy/) > [The artwork for the record is kind of an homage to that. It's a collage, which rhymes with homage, I just realized. It's an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/the-artwork-for-the-record-is-kind-of-an-homage-to-that-it-s-a/) [Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/) > [I think where the criticism of videogames come from is where videogames are just Xeroxes of films, and when you get a film adaptation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-wright/i-think-where-the-criticism-of-videogames-come-from-is-where/) [Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) > [Those inevitable dreams where you can't get your column in, you know, and at first they were the Xerox telecopy, and then they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/those-inevitable-dreams-where-you-can-t-get-your-column-in-you-know/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [The idea of an e-book has been around since the late 1970s, when researchers at Xerox PARC got on the case. Their prototype used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-platt/the-idea-of-an-e-book-has-been-around-since-the-late-1970s-when/) [Charles Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-platt/) > [ The Canon AE1 - a fully manual camera. \[My mother\] had a 50mm, which is a standard lens, and then I got a 28mm.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vespa/the-canon-ae1-a-fully-manual-camera-my-mother-had-a-50mm-which-is-a/) [Jeff Vespa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vespa/) > [If you cannot sell, you cannot be an entrepreneur. If you cannot sell, you cannot raise money. if the thought of sales terrifies you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/if-you-cannot-sell-you-cannot-be-an-entrepreneur-if-you-cannot-sell/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [I Xeroxed a mirror. Now I have an extra Xerox machine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-xeroxed-a-mirror-now-i-have-an-extra-xerox-machine/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [Lifting whole passages from someone else's speeches is not change you can believe in. It's change you can Xerox.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/lifting-whole-passages-from-someone-else-s-speeches-is-not-change-you/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) ## More by Jessica Bennett > [“Thank ’n’ Yank Yank the credit right back—by thanking them for liking your idea. It’s a sneaky yet highly effective self-crediting maneuver that still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-bennett/thank-n-yank-yank-the-credit-right-back-by-thanking-them-for-liking/) [Jessica Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-bennett/) > [Don't compromise quickly. Women are more likely to automatically take the first offer on the table because we're more likely to feel "lucky" to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-bennett/don-t-compromise-quickly-women-are-more-likely-to-automatically-take/) [Jessica Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-bennett/) > [Perhaps women are lied to more often because managers think they're not going to push back. If you're told, "We don't have the budget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-bennett/perhaps-women-are-lied-to-more-often-because-managers-think-they-re/) [Jessica Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-bennett/) > [“Within every woman exists a warrior. Really.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-bennett/within-every-woman-exists-a-warrior-really/) [Jessica Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-bennett/) > [Relate your ask to the group at large by using "we" instead of "I." So I might say, "We grew our traffic by X…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-bennett/relate-your-ask-to-the-group-at-large-by-using-we-instead-of-i-so-i/) [Jessica Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-bennett/) > [Love shouldn't matter on the colour of your skin nor what gender you are, love is love and that's what matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-bennett/love-shouldn-t-matter-on-the-colour-of-your-skin-nor-what-gender-you/) [Jessica Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-bennett/) > [“A woman will apply to an open job listing if and only if she thinks she meets all—that is, 100 freaking percent—of the requirements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-bennett/a-woman-will-apply-to-an-open-job-listing-if-and-only-if-she-thinks/) [Jessica Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-bennett/) > [“It wasn’t until 1973 that secretaries in our very own White House were allowed to wear pants—when the energy crisis led to lowered thermostats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-bennett/it-wasn-t-until-1973-that-secretaries-in-our-very-own-white-house/) [Jessica Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-bennett/) > [When women negotiate they are often viewed as pushy, but if you think about the way women are viewed at large: we are nurturing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-bennett/when-women-negotiate-they-are-often-viewed-as-pushy-but-if-you-think/) [Jessica Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-bennett/) > [... when I hear people say that penmanship is dead, my response: it's about time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-bennett/when-i-hear-people-say-that-penmanship-is-dead-my-response-it-s-about/) [Jessica Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-bennett/) > [One analysis found that every dollar in the opening offer translates to about 50 cents more in the final agreement. So put the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-bennett/one-analysis-found-that-every-dollar-in-the-opening-offer-translates/) [Jessica Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-bennett/) [Explore all 12 Jessica Bennett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-bennett/) ## More Feminism quotes > [“But benevolent patriarchy is still patriarchy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/but-benevolent-patriarchy-is-still-patriarchy/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [“This story is not at all an uncommon one in tech circles, including gaming. The popular notion is that women who get ahead must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bailey-poland/this-story-is-not-at-all-an-uncommon-one-in-tech-circles-including/) [Bailey Poland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bailey-poland/) > [Without meaning to sound anti-men, ghastly women are the closest you get to a male role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-burke/without-meaning-to-sound-anti-men-ghastly-women-are-the-closest-you/) [Kathy Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-burke/) > [If the women in the factories stopped work for twenty minutes, the Allies would lose the war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joffre/if-the-women-in-the-factories-stopped-work-for-twenty-minutes-the/) Joseph Joffre > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“there was something of the women molded into the great, stalwart frame of Hollingsworth; nor was he ashamed of it; as men often are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/there-was-something-of-the-women-molded-into-the-great-stalwart-frame/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [Women rule the world. It's not really worth fighting because they know what they're doing. Ask Napoleon. Ask Adam. Ask Richard Burton or Richie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-bon-jovi/women-rule-the-world-it-s-not-really-worth-fighting-because-they-know/) [Jon Bon Jovi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-bon-jovi/) > [“Bármilyen idiótának, aki azt kérdezi: „Feminista vagy? Akkor elégeted a melltartóidat, mi? HE? Melltartókat égetsz, te feminista?” – szép nyugodtan így kell válaszolni: „Ostoba.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/b-rmilyen-idi-t-nak-aki-azt-k-rdezi-feminista-vagy-akkor-el-geted-a/) [Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/) > [People are capable of great, great change during the span of one lifetime. And women even more than men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/people-are-capable-of-great-great-change-during-the-span-of-one/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [Susan B. Anthony must be turning in her grave if she knew that millions of women who have the right to vote are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-m-kunin/susan-b-anthony-must-be-turning-in-her-grave-if-she-knew-that/) [Madeleine M. Kunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-m-kunin/) > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [Women know things that men will never know. We keep the best secrets. We tell the best stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/women-know-things-that-men-will-never-know-we-keep-the-best-secrets/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“Women will be at least 50 percent of the communications community workforce … from executive suite to interns. Why? The “integrated” agency will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoram-wind/women-will-be-at-least-50-percent-of-the-communications-community/) Yoram Wind [Browse all 15,705 Feminism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Carly Fiorina took over Hewlett-Packard shortly before the tech bubble burst. Anne Mulcahy got a shot at being the first female CEO at Xerox—precisely as the company was being investigated by the SEC. What do these leaders have in common? They are women. Women who were given big responsibilities right as the shit hit the fan. Which meant that when they failed—almost inevitably—the problem was blamed on them, not the surrounding circumstances.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jessica Bennett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-bennett/carly-fiorina-took-over-hewlett-packard-shortly-before-the-tech/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Feminism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-bennett/carly-fiorina-took-over-hewlett-packard-shortly-before-the-tech/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/jessica-bennett-37739_feminism_carly-fiorina-took-over-hewlett-packard_2929589.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/jessica-bennett-37739_feminism_carly-fiorina-took-over-hewlett-packard_2929589.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/jessica-bennett-37739_feminism_carly-fiorina-took-over-hewlett-packard_2929589.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Carly Fiorina took over Hewlett-Packard shortly before the tech bubble burst. Anne Mulcahy got a shot at…” — Jessica Bennett", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jessica Bennett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-bennett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Carly Fiorina took over Hewlett-Packard shortly...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-bennett/carly-fiorina-took-over-hewlett-packard-shortly-before-the-tech/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-bennett/carly-fiorina-took-over-hewlett-packard-shortly-before-the-tech/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```