What no one is really honest about when a woman steps into leadership is how much resistance she’ll face—yet how powerful her impact can be.
When I stepped into leadership 25+ years ago, I quickly realized that the road wasn’t just uphill—it was paved with invisible barriers.
It doesn’t matter if she has the experience, education, drive, vision, strategy, preferred personality, or any other standard, she still has to prove her worth twice as hard. (Women, tell me I’m wrong.)
I’ve coached hundreds of female leaders and nearly 100% would agree. I learned that leadership isn’t just about strategy and execution; it’s about navigating systems that weren’t built for us or by us.
The cost of this systemic gap is staggering:
- Only 29% of senior management roles worldwide are held by women, despite making up nearly half of the workforce.
- Barely 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women—and it was only last year that, for the first time (!!), the number of female CEOs finally surpassed the number of Fortune 500 CEOs named John.
- Higher turnover and lower employee engagement for organizations without women in leadership.
- More bias and higher burnout rates lead many female leaders to step away before reaching top positions.
The payoffs of women leading is striking:
- 10x higher profitability with more female executives
- 72% of employees feel more valued when working under female leadership, improving retention and productivity
- Studies show stronger collaboration, innovation, and holistic decision-making, benefiting both people and profits
- And for women in this community—high-capacity, purpose-driven leaders balancing career and family—having more female role models makes success more sustainable.
Women’s leadership isn’t only good for business—it’s essential for the future and for our mutual flourishing. This Women’s History Month, don’t only celebrate women in leadership—champion and expand her influence.
Sisters, resist the barriers. Stay the course. And know your leadership contribution has major payoffs!
