Women's career growth in co-located teams

As International Women’s Day nears, we’ll see the usual corporate gestures—empowerment panels, social media campaigns, and carefully curated success stories. But let’s be honest: these feel-good initiatives rarely change what actually holds women back at work on the daily basis. Instead, I suggest focusing on something concrete, something I’ve seen have the biggest impact in my work with teams: the unspoken dynamics that shape psychological safety. 🚨Because psychological safety is not the same for everyone. Psychological safety is often defined as a shared belief that one can take risks without fear of negative consequences. But let’s unpack that—who actually feels safe enough to take those risks? 🔹 Speaking up costs more for women Confidence isn’t the issue—consequences are. Women learn early that being too direct can backfire. Assertiveness can be read as aggression, while careful phrasing can make them seem uncertain. Over time, this calculation becomes second nature: Is this worth the risk? 🔹 Mistakes are stickier When men fail, it’s seen as part of leadership growth. When women fail, it often reinforces lingering doubts about their competence. This means that women aren’t more risk-averse by nature—they’re just more aware of the cost. 🔹 Inclusion isn’t just about presence Being at the table doesn’t mean having an equal voice. Women often find themselves in a credibility loop—having to repeatedly prove their expertise before their ideas carry weight. Meanwhile, those who fit the traditional leadership mold are often trusted by default. 🔹 Emotional labor is the silent career detour Women in teams do an extraordinary amount of behind-the-scenes work—mediating conflicts, softening feedback, ensuring inclusion. The problem? This work isn’t visible in performance reviews or leadership selection criteria. It’s expected, but not rewarded. What companies can do beyond IWD symbolism: ✅ Stop measuring "confidence"—start measuring credibility gaps If some team members always need to “prove it” while others are trusted instantly, you have a credibility gap, not a confidence issue. Fix how ideas get heard, not how women present them. ✅ Make failure a learning moment for everyone Audit how mistakes are handled in your team. Are men encouraged to take bold moves while women are advised to be more careful? Change the narrative around risk. ✅ Track & reward emotional labor If women are consistently mentoring, resolving conflicts, or ensuring inclusion, this isn’t just “being helpful”—it’s leadership. Make it visible, valued, and part of promotion criteria. 💥 This IWD, let’s skip the celebration and start the correction. If your company is serious about making psychological safety equal for everyone, let’s do the real work. 📅 I’m now booking IWD sessions focused on improving team dynamics and creating workplaces where women don’t just survive, but thrive. Book your spot and let’s turn good intentions into lasting impact.

Fixing What’s Broken and Celebrating What’s Working in Accessing all the World’s Talent for your Business. At Xero we are committed to building a global workplace where everyone, regardless of their background, has equal access to opportunity. To us, that’s just a given and the foundation for building an outstanding long term business and culture. So when McKinsey and Lean In recently published their 10th annual report on ‘Women in the Workplace’, I was grateful to be able to contribute to the conversation, but also very curious to understand how their macro trends compared to what we experience at Xero. In the report itself, I was surprised to see the “broken rung” phenomenon still exists at the very earliest stages of women’s career growth compared to men’s. Essentially for every 100 men promoted to a first time manager role, only 81 women are, according to their 2024 data. And although we have a lot of data around representation at Xero, I have never seen our own data split this way. I wondered if the same phenomenon was happening with us, so I asked:) Here’s what we found. We actually overachieve on our first promotion to manager stats at Xero comparatively speaking. On annualized data, for every 100 men promoted at Xero from Independent Contributor (IC) to Manager, 144 women were promoted. We didn't set an explicit goal around this metric, this is just where our data landed. I’ve asked why we do so well here and the team is digging in. But, asking for this data revealed another “loose” rung in the business worth investigating. We found that at one of our mid-level manager rungs in one of the functions, we are underperforming in promotion rate equivalency by gender. So that’s what we’re trying to understand now. Why do I share this story on LI? Very simply, if you are a senior leader who is serious about building the highest performing workplace you can over the long term, taking time to understand the Broken Rung phenomena (or other telling statistics) in your own business is critical. Data continues to confirm that diverse leadership teams outperform others – and making sure everyone has access to opportunities at every rung of your organization helps you build a great culture from the ground up. https://lnkd.in/gH69i2Ku

In Spencer Stuart's global survey of over 2,300 women leaders, we found that nearly half (49%) believe that progress for women is stalling or reversing. This Women’s History Month, our latest report details the (positive and negative) experiences of women in leadership and underscores an undeniable truth: Despite advancements, the pace of progress seems to be slowing. For example, the report highlights a significant gap: While 87% of women leaders are confident in their ability to achieve career ambitions, only 51% feel they can do so at their current companies. I believe understanding the drivers and derailers of women’s career advancement is critical: ▶️ Drivers: a strong male sponsor, a supportive supervisor, an external professional network, and rotational developmental assignments all act as key enablers. ◀️ Derailers: promotions based on relationships rather than performance, unconscious bias, and women being held to higher standards and being more self-critical. Another persistent derailer is a lack of P&L roles earlier in their careers. These early general management positions build the kind of experience boards look for when selecting CEOs and senior general management - while strictly functional roles can hinder career progression. By recognizing the factors that either propel or impede women’s careers, companies can create environments that allow women to thrive in leadership positions. This report highlights a clear opportunity for each of us to learn how to support and develop leaders of both genders with more efficacy.

In a recent conversation, something interesting surfaced. Some high-performing, technically exceptional women admitted they had little desire to move into mid managerial roles. Not because they lacked ambition but because the cost of climbing the ladder, especially as women in India, often feels disproportionately high. This isn’t rare. I have also seen women, strong individual contributors, opt for roles with limited scope. Why? They are not just balancing work and family but are managing expectations and perceptions, sometimes of spouses, parents, in-laws, and society at large. American author and journalist Amy Westervelt puts it succinctly, “We expect women to work like they don’t have families, and raise families like they don’t work.” In #India, women form a substantial share of #IT #workforce, about 2.1 million, which is 36% of total IT workforce in India (5.8M). Out of this, around 20-23% make up senior leadership roles. With the number of #GCCs in India also rising, 1 in 6 women also hold global roles. However, at the mid levels, the numbers are still in single digits although it has risen to 8-9% going by recent reports. Cultural nuances matter. In many parts of India, traditional family structures, while nurturing, can amplify gendered expectations around availability and responsibility. And so it’s not surprising that 80% of working women in India (IT & non IT) leave work, with 45% citing childcare, personal commitments (Longhouse Consulting, 2023). So what can be done to reduce or stall the decline of high performing women dropping out of the workplace permanently during mid career. Companies can respond in four ways in my opinion: 1. Flexibility means #outcomes over hours. 2. Managers who double up as #sponsors by identifying growth opportunities, shielding them from unconscious bias or burnout and giving them structured feedback for career progression. 3. Recognize that extended families often influence a woman’s career decisions and turn that influence into support by engaging leaders and male colleagues in fostering empathetic conversations, and share real stories of women from similar backgrounds whose careers thrived because their families stood behind them. 4. Leverage #AI for smarter work by automating low-value tasks. Use intelligent tools to reduce meeting fatigue and enable deep focus. At Zafin, our #ZafinLeadingLadies ERG (#EmployeeResourceGroup) is built on one core belief that every woman deserves the space to lead in her own way. We encourage real talk to air what often goes unsaid, and provide AI-powered tools to cut repetitive tasks & give back time for strategic contribution and learning. When opportunity, visibility, and choice are equitably embedded into our systems, women don’t just lean in but rise with purpose. #FutureOfWork #DEI #Zafin #SmartWork #GreatPlaceToWork #GenderDiversity #GenderEquality #BankingTechnology #Transformation #WeAreHiring

I’ve been thinking a lot about what it really takes for women to thrive — and what it doesn’t. It’s less about networking events, panels, or well-intended slogans. It’s about the everyday environment women operate in — and whether it allows them to continuously grow and to lead. Over the years, my teams have consistently had a high share of women, especially in leadership roles. Not because of quotas, but because talent tends to show up when conditions make it possible to do so. To create these conditions in practice, I made sure that within my teams: ➝ Flexible leadership models are encouraged — even if they challenge traditional templates ➝ It is genuinely easy to return after parental leave or a sabbatical ➝ Childcare disruptions or sick kids are treated as a fact of life, not a lack of commitment ➝ An environment exists where people feel heard — and where their perspectives are genuinely valued I’ve noticed a familiar pattern when these conditions are missing. Women tend to pull back first — not because they lack ambition, but because the overall environment no longer signals that their contribution truly matters. They stop speaking up as openly. They don’t return after a break — or they return to lesser roles. Supporting women isn’t about asking them to lean in harder. It’s about building cultures where leadership and life aren’t positioned as opposites, where flexibility is mutual, and where success doesn’t feel like something you have to justify. That’s not talk. That’s practice. And it’s where real progress starts.

Relationships with colleagues matter for everyone, but for women, their role can be especially significant. 🤝 Research from Yale shows that horizontal peer networks - the everyday support of teammates - genuinely increase women’s chances of promotion, often more than formal mentoring programs from leadership. Having other women in the group allows for sharing knowledge not found in official documents, clearing doubts, and boosting confidence in environments that are still often unequal. 🔹 Mentors are important, but hierarchical relationships can be limited by formality and distance. Peer support works here and now: it helps solve immediate problems, understand the unwritten rules of the organization, and, above all, provides the sense that we are not alone. Effective networks thrive in cultures that foster flexibility and trust. Friendships and daily interactions then become not just a source of emotional support but a strategic tool for growth - no one understands the challenges we face better than someone who shares them. Development and promotion don’t start with programs or directives from management. They start with the people who are by your side every day. 🌱

"She Waited. He Asked." Two employees. Same company. Same level. Same ambition. One day, a high-visibility project opened up—a game-changer. She waited to be recognised. He asked for it. Guess who got it? This isn’t about talent. Or effort. Or qualifications. It’s about how we position ourselves and the opportunities we take. 🔹 The first five years of your career define the next twenty. Yet, too many women end up in lateral roles, waiting for promotions, hoping their work speaks for itself. It rarely does. 🔹 Men don’t just get promoted—they’re placed in roles that fast-track leadership. P&L ownership, strategic projects, revenue-generating positions. These aren’t just job titles—they’re career accelerators. 🔹 Women are over-mentored and under-sponsored. A mentor gives you advice. A sponsor puts your name on the table for the next big opportunity. Women with active sponsors are 3x more likely to reach senior leadership. 💡 Women aren’t just held back by the system; we’re also held back by the rules we’ve been conditioned to play by. Here is what needs to change: → Step into high-growth industries. AI, fintech, sustainability—are you moving toward opportunity or staying in a comfort zone? → Negotiate for P&L roles. Revenue ownership isn’t a ‘nice to have’—it’s the fastest track to leadership. → Say yes before you're ready. The biggest game-changing opportunities rarely come when you feel ‘fully prepared.’ Take them anyway. → Challenge the broken rung. The biggest career drop-off happens at the first promotion stage. If we don’t move up early, we don’t move up at all. This isn’t about fixing women. It’s about fixing the way careers are built. So, let’s start here—What’s one career move that changed everything for you? #Leadership #WomenAtWork #CareerGrowth #BoldMoves #LokaViveka #OmamConsultants

👩🏽🔬 It’s not a glass ceiling if you never make it off the ground. Fix the broken rung already. Let’s talk about real progress and the real obstacles for women in the workplace, especially in STEM and leadership. We’ve made meaningful strides, but the most significant barriers are happening far earlier than most people realize. 🔹 Progress Worth Celebrating: ↳29% of C-suite roles are now held by women—up from 17% in 2015. ↳VP roles climbed from 27% to 34% over the last decade. But wait... ⚠️ At the manager level, a critical career stepping stone, growth has barely moved from 37% in 2015 to just 39% in 2024. Why does this matter? Because of what McKinsey calls: 🔧 The “Broken Rung” ↳The first promotion from entry-level to manager is where women get stuck. ↳This broken rung is why we’re underrepresented in every level that follows. 📉 Data Snapshot: ↳For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 87 women are. ↳For women of color, it drops to 73 per 100 men. This isn’t just a pipeline issue—it’s a promotion issue. And it’s compounding over time, shrinking the pool of future women leaders before it grows. 🧠 Why It Matters: ↳If we don’t fix this first step, we will not fix leadership representation, no matter how many women we hire at the entry level. 💡 This is about more than headcount. ↳ It’s about equitable access to opportunity and the ability to grow and lead. 🛠 What Companies Can Do (Starting Yesterday): ↳Audit promotion processes for bias ↳Set measurable goals for first-level promotions ↳Sponsor & develop early-career women ↳Hold leaders accountable for outcomes—not just intentions Women, especially those of us in STEM, are ready to lead.  But our systems and cultures must rise to meet that ambition. We don’t just need a seat at the table. We need a fair shot at getting there. ♻️ Repost this to show support of fixing the broken rung in the corporate ladder 🔔 Join Dr. Romie in promoting women leadership especially in the areas of science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine. #WomenInLeadership #WomenInSTEM #BrokenRung  #WorkplaceCulture

35 percent. That is the share of women in the GCC workforce. Only 19 percent make it to leadership. The issue is not entry. It is elevation. Representation at entry level is healthy. By mid-career, it drops sharply. Nearly 45 percent of women exit between the 5–10 year mark, precisely when succession pipelines are formed and leadership benches are built. We talk about a talent shortage. Yet we are steadily losing experienced, high-potential women before they reach decision-making roles. Why? Caregiving responsibilities without structural flexibility Limited, opaque growth pathways Unconscious bias in promotion decisions Inconsistent access to sponsorship and mentorship This is not a diversity narrative. It is a performance and risk narrative. Data shows women-led teams are more likely to meet quarterly targets. Yet as influence increases, representation decreases. That is not a capability gap. It is a systems design gap. And there is a shift leaders should not ignore. More women are choosing to build rather than wait. Women now lead 18 percent of India’s 100,000+ startups, up from 10 percent just a few years ago. When traditional pathways stall, alternative ecosystems emerge. The real question for GCC leaders: Are mid-career women explicitly mapped into succession plans? Are promotion decisions audited for pattern bias? Is flexibility built into revenue and leadership tracks or only support roles? The pipeline is not failing at the start. It is thinning where leadership leverage is created. If leadership depth is a strategic priority, mid-career retention must become a board-level metric, not an HR initiative. What structural change will we commit to this year? #NipsyJhamb #WomenInLeadership #GCCIndia #FutureOfWork #LeadershipDevelopment