Labyrinth and Pipeline Articles

I really enjoyed reading both of these articles. I appreciated what I perceived as the author's intention in the pipeline article. It seemed that the pipeline article was geared at rallying women and inspiring them. I have to admit, I definitely felt inspired after reading it too! Immediately afterwards, I read the Labyrinth article. I have to say that I felt that this article had much more weight than the first. It addressed some of the real issues and complexities that we face as both emerging and current women leaders.
I wonder about the subtlety that exists between being communal and agentic. Is it possible for a woman to embody those more relational tendencies and also at the same time, to be assertive and more self-interested? I think it's a good question to ask. After reading Marietta Nien-hwa Cheng's quote, about deepening her voice I was at first a little upset because it seemed like she was attempting to take on more male characteristics (a deeper voice) in order to be seen and respected as a leader. I went back and re-read that section a few times and realized that her 'adjustment' with her voice could be perceived as an honest acknowledgment of an existing power-imbalance, and changing the tone of her voice was an attempt to create a more level 'playing field.'