Anita Shah on The Apprentice 2012, episode four: It's not good looks that make it hard for business women, it's arrogance This week's second-hand furniture task was quite a picture but clearly not as much of a picture as Laura considers herself to be. When Laura described herself as an "attractive woman in business" and alluded to having a rough ride as a result, I could hear a chorus of women across the country sighing. Let's hold back for now on those politically correct views that we are all beautiful or that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It might be true but it is also a fact of life that some women are just more pleasing on more eyes than others. What is less clear to me is whether attractiveness is really the ball and chain that some women say it is. I don't think that being good-looking is a real problem. It's the underlying personality traits that go alongside that self perception that may create some issues. Walking into a business room with a pretty face or striking attire means that others in the room are likely to notice you. They are more likely to pay attention to you when you walk in. The perception of you after that depends on how good you are and how you conduct yourself. Your reputation in business builds on how you acquit yourself, not the colour of your lipstick or the shape of your nose. It's okay to believe that you are good-looking but it's not okay to carry a superiority complex with you. It's the arrogance that irritates people. It's also unwise to prejudge your audience. If you believe that people are going to resent you for looking good, then you may well project an attitude that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. I don't deny that there is jealousy and malcontent in the business world as much as there is anywhere else. Those feelings can be rooted in the fact that some are more successful, are better connected or are more talented. Work mates can be very resentful of that. We only need to replay Katie's comments about bringing Duane down a peg or two to see that in action. Katie was jealous of his series of wins in sharp contrast to her own failures. If Duane was a woman then would we have thought it was all down to appearance? I doubt it. Nor did appearance play a part in the downfall of Jane. She stood out for her striking red dress but her near-zero sales let her down. She was, quite rightly, graceful in defeat. The world of business is far from easy and certain barriers for women to progress, particularly at the senior end, do exist. That should not be ignored. Whilst the reasons for that may be many and complex, one thing is for sure. The barriers for a women's success in business have nothing to do with where she ranks in the supermodel stakes. It's not that easy. Visit Anita Shah's website at www.anitashah.net