WHY THE LEADERSHIP GENDER GAP MATTERS—AND WHAT ORGANIZATIONS CAN DO TO CLOSE IT

Abstract

AbstractThe author, CEO of leadership development firm Linkage, Inc., discusses why there is a leadership gap for women, and how the gap can be closed. She cites research from sources such as the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report, the McKinsey/LeanIn.Org Women in the Workplace 2023 report, and research on gender differences in earnings and employment rates over time by Harvard’s Claudia Goldin, for which she was recently awarded a Nobel prize. In closing the gender gap in organizations, the author writes that “our own data shows women who have received investment in their development are more engaged, have more personal satisfaction with their work, are more likely to stay with their company, and lead teams that are outperforming the company average.” She recommends a two‐pronged approach: “1) take a hard internal look at the four critical dimensions in Linkage’s Advancing Women Strategic Framework; and 2) help women develop the awareness, understanding, and skills to scale the hurdles that we have internalized based on the real bias we face externally.” She concludes that it is “more important than ever for organizations in every area (not just business but also government, academic, and the nonprofit world)—and all of us as leaders—to demonstrate a meaningful commitment to women who aspire to lead.”