How women can advance even when the systems fall short

Every year, McKinsey and LeanIn release their annual Women in the Workplace report. It reveals key sentiments from women in corporate America in regards to their challenges, advancement opportunities and how companies are investing in them (or not). 

The findings from this year are not surprising to me. While you can review a summary of the key findings along with the full report HERE, I wanted to share some trends that stood out to me personally this year and what actions you can take. 

First, the good news. After a dip in 2024, the number of women who are promoted into their first leadership role alongside men has increased. Last year, for every 100 men that were promoted, 80 women were promoted. This year, for every 100 men promoted, 93 women were promoted. The study does note that number could be better than reality: The companies that shared their pipeline information this year have a higher representation of women than typical companies from 2021 to 2024

Next, here are three trends that stood out to me because I have observed them in action this year (+ what I tell my clients to do about them).

TREND 1: Women have fewer sponsors than men

1. Women overall are less likely to have a sponsor at work compared with men, which matters because sponsored employees are nearly twice as likely to be promoted.  

2. Entry-level women are especially less likely to have sponsors, including senior-level sponsors who can more directly influence promotions and visibility. 

This sponsorship gap contributes to fewer career-opening opportunities for women early on and throughout the pipeline. 

↗️ How to action this: Build your relationship currency at work. I've worked on Influence Maps with my clients all year. You can get steps to build your map HERE. I see it all of the time, the leaders that have the strongest relationships are getting projects approved and opportunities to advance. 

TREND 2: Women receive less career support

1. Women at multiple career stages receive less advocacy, feedback, stretch assignments, and career-building support from managers and senior colleagues compared with men. 

2. Senior-level women are less likely than senior-level men to be offered leadership training or consistent developmental support from their managers. 

McKinsey cites that because career support is strongly tied to ambition for promotions, this uneven support helps explain why women report less desire to advance than men. In my own experience, my clients have more desire to advance in the organization when they know they will not only receive adequate development support, but support in the type of schedule that helps them balance work and life.

↗️ How to action this: Don't assume support will happen without an ask. Many of my clients negotiate career support into their job offer or ask for it as part of the salary increase cycle. Successful asks for career support include asking for stipends for coaching, mentoring, leadership courses, conferences and more. 

• Many of my clients are proactive in asking this exact question when up for a promotion,  “What support will this person receive in this role to ensure we accomplish our outcomes and are a successful hire?” 

TREND 3: Companies are scaling back on leadership programs and commitment

1. Only about half of companies now prioritize women’s career advancement, reflecting a decline in organizational commitment to gender diversity and women’s progression.

2. Some companies have scaled back or discontinued programs that benefit women, such as formal sponsorship programs, targeted career development, and flexible/remote work options.

McKinsey noted that HR leaders expressed concern about the long-term impact of these changes, especially as women’s ERGs evolve to be less exclusively focused on women’s unique advancement challenges. 

This is the number one change I've experienced this year with my clients. Organizations are offering their “women's leadership” programs to all employees in response to diversity program critiques. While the intent is positive, I have witnessed first hand how this stifles the conversation women can have about their unique challenges at work leaving many important topics unheard and unchallenged at work. 

↗️  How to action this: If your company has made women's leadership program offerings for everyone, you should absolutely continue to participate - it's a great place to build support, connections and needed sponsors for advancement. AND you should also seek out women-only networks of your own so you have a safe space to discuss the unique challenges women face in the workplace and receive the type of support that motivates you to grow and engage. 

🔥 Bottom Line: As I wrote in my book, Closing The Confidence Gap, there will always be systemic challenges for women in the workplace for the foreseeable future. Our workplaces were built for men by men at time when most women stayed home. This isn't a reason to get demotivated. However, we can name these systemic issues and use our skills and talents to thrive in spite of them to create more gender balance at work. We can seek out external support systems and networks to support us in our work and our lives.

Kelli Thompson is an award-winning author, keynote speaker, and executive coach who specializes in helping high achievers advance to influential leaders in their organizations. She is the author of the critically acclaimed book, Closing The Confidence Gap: Boost Your Peace, Your Potential & Your Paycheck.

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