Why Women Leaders Need Human Connection

After two decades of coaching high-achieving women leaders, I've observed something that rarely gets discussed in leadership circles. The higher you climb, the more isolated you become. Not by choice, but by circumstance. Recent data confirms what I see consistently: Women in top positions report 34% higher rates of workplace isolation than their male counterparts. More telling, 72% report having no safe space to process strategic challenges with peers who genuinely understand their position. This isn't about loneliness—it's about the absence of strategic thinking partners who operate at your caliber. The women who transform fastest aren't those with the most experience. They're the ones who recognize that their next breakthrough requires alliance, not just more individual effort. That's what drove me to create a space designed specifically for the unique challenges that only make sense to someone leading at the 0.5% level. I've written about this phenomenon and what becomes possible when exceptional women move from isolation to strategic alliance. The full piece explores why traditional networking falls short and how eight carefully selected women are pioneering a new leadership paradigm. Link to the full article is here below. The question isn't whether you've achieved enough to qualify for this conversation. It's whether you're ready to stop carrying the weight of leadership alone. #womeninleadership #ExecutiveCoaching #FemaleLeadership #MasterMind

Success can be isolating - but what if the cure for loneliness lies not in being less ambitious, dimming your light, or settling below your potential, but in connecting with others just as driven as you? We continue from our post yesterday, addressing women in leadership who identify as successful, yet feeling lonely or alone in their leadership journey. Now, for many women leaders, the pressures of leadership can create barriers to meaningful connections. However, research shows that support networks both within and outside of work are powerful antidotes to this isolation. Building these intentional connections provides the emotional support, authentic relationships, shared experiences, and practical support that help women leaders not just survive, but truly thrive. Fostering these networks can be a game-changer for you as a woman in leadership. Research from Harvard Business Review reveals that women in senior leadership roles often find it difficult to form genuine peer networks within their organizations. Thus, it becomes harder to find the emotional safety needed to discuss the unique pressures you face. Intentional networking with other women in leadership, both inside and outside of the organization, is crucial. These networks don’t just provide career advancement opportunities, but they create a space for shared experiences, where women can openly discuss challenges, strategies, and successes without fear of judgment. This area is personal to me because it was part of my experience as a senior leader. I had a couple of false starts as I began looking for help. The initial people I reached out to and ask for support were not able to grasp what it was that I was looking for. That was really disappointing. However, the need was still there. I continued to search and explore possible spaces I could fit in as well as peers who could relate with what I was going through. Step by step out of my comfort zone led me to a thriving support community that continues to this day. Research from HBR shows that leaders who have strong support networks experience higher resilience, better decision-making, and increased job satisfaction, all of which enhance both personal well-being and professional performance. Building a support network isn’t just a way to cope with loneliness. It is a pathway to more fulfilling and impactful leadership. When women leaders invest in authentic connections with friends, peers, mentors, and coaches, they open doors to shared wisdom, mutual encouragement, and new perspectives that empower them to lead with confidence. A supportive network essential for women leaders who want to thrive, inspire others, and create lasting change. Do you have a support network in place? Or, are you searching for one? #leadership #africa #leadershipdevelopment #professionalwomen #personaldevelopment

One of the greatest misconceptions about leadership, especially for women leaders, is that rational thinking must come at the cost of empathy. That, to be taken seriously, we must lead only with logic and set aside emotion. But I’ve come to believe the opposite. Women bring a unique strength to the table, one that balances clarity of thought with depth of understanding. We know how to make data-driven decisions, but we also know how to listen, how to hold space, how to connect. And that isn’t a contradiction, it’s an advantage. Being analytical and being empathetic aren’t opposing traits. In fact, when combined, they create some of the most effective and authentic leadership. I’ve seen women lead with precision and compassion, with strategy and intuition. And every time they do, they show others that there is no single way to lead. So to every woman who’s ever been told to be more analytical or to tone down her empathy, please don’t. Your ability to analyze doesn’t make you less human. Your empathy doesn’t make you less capable. You don’t have to choose. You can be both. And that is your power.

The saying “It’s not what you know, but who you know” still holds true for career progression, but for women, building those all-important connections comes with extra hurdles. Research published in the Academy of Management Journal, highlighted by Harvard Business Review, shows that women face greater barriers than men when it comes to forming high-status networks. One striking finding? Women are 40% less likely than men to form strong ties with senior leaders after face-to-face interactions. Traits like assertiveness and confidence—often linked with leadership—are judged through a traditional gendered lens, which means women's and other marginalised genders contributions can be overlooked. So, what’s the solution? Women can leverage third-party introductions, which often carry implicit endorsement and help sidestep these biases. In fact, the research shows women are more likely than men to succeed in building high-status networks through shared contacts. Organisations also need to step up by creating network sponsorship programmes, where leaders don’t just mentor women—they actively advocate for them, opening doors and making introductions that help women advance. It’s time for organisations to rethink how they approach networking. By fostering more inclusive, proactive strategies, we can break down barriers and create a level playing field for women to build the connections that will drive their careers forward. Let’s turn "who you know" into an opportunity for everyone. #Networking #GenderEquity #ThreeBarriers

Here’s what I learned from researching why there are so few senior women.. In the late 1990s, I undertook a major research project examining why a prominent tech organisation had minimal women in senior leadership. 💡 The conclusion challenged assumptions: the company wasn't discriminating. Instead, their entire operational culture - policies, promotion processes, unwritten norms - favoured a single archetype. The 'work hard, play hard' employee for whom work was life. This model suited some individuals. But it excluded many capable people and, critically, didn't optimise performance or business outcomes. And this is the case in countless organisations today. The recommendations then focused on structural interventions: flexible working arrangements, equitable parental leave, transparent promotion criteria. Various organisations implemented some of these changes. Twenty-five years later, the evidence suggests limited impact. Women CEOs declined from 28% to 19% between 2023 and 2024 (Grant Thornton International Business Report, 2024). Progress has reversed. Through three decades of resilience research, organisational consulting, and executive coaching, I've observed a consistent pattern: ❗Accomplished women leaders are declining senior positions. Not from inability or lack of ambition, but through informed choice about unsustainable cultural demands and behavioural norms. ❌ They're declining cultures that require suppressing their humanity, carrying disproportionate caring responsibilities, conforming to narrow leadership templates, prioritising short-term metrics over sustainable success, and excluding emotional intelligence from professional competence. The business case for change is robust. Research demonstrates that gender-diverse executive teams consistently outperform homogeneous ones across multiple performance indicators. But we can't achieve that diversity by simply setting targets while continuing to reward the same narrow set of behaviours. We must fundamentally alter what we recruit for and reward, and the psychological safety to be human. Hustle culture doesn't optimise performance - it degrades it. Exhausted brains make worse decisions. Burnout isn't a badge of honour; it's a design flaw. ✅ We need work cultures built for how humans actually thrive. Where empathy and emotional intelligence are assets, not liabilities. Where having a life outside work isn't seen as lack of commitment. Where multiple leadership styles are valued. This isn't gender opposition - it's about recognising that balanced leadership perspectives create healthier organisational ecosystems. For everyone. If we aspire to organisations that genuinely thrive and contribute positively to broader society, we need culture redesign based on human sustainability, not inherited industrial models. ⁉️ The question isn't why women decline these opportunities. It's why our leadership cultures make that the sensible response.

A highly qualified woman sat across from me yesterday.   Her resume showed 15 years of C-suite experience. Multiple awards. Industry recognition.   Yet she spoke about her success like it was pure luck.   SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT of female executives experience this same phenomenon.   I see it daily through my work with thousands of women leaders. They achieve remarkable success but internally believe they fooled everyone.   Some call it imposter syndrome. I call it a STRUCTURAL PROBLEM.   Let me explain...   When less than 5% of major companies have gender-balanced leadership, women question whether they belong.   My first board appointment taught me this hard truth.   I walked into that boardroom convinced I would say something ridiculous. Everyone seemed so confident.   But confidence plays tricks on us.   Perfect knowledge never exists. Leadership requires:   • Recognising what you know • Admitting what you miss • Finding the right answers • Moving forward anyway   Three strategies that transformed my journey:   1. Build your evidence file Document every win, every positive feedback, every successful project. Review it before big meetings. Your brain lies. Evidence speaks truth.   2. Find your circle Connect with other women leaders who understand your experience. The moment you share your doubts, someone else will say "me too."   3. Practice strategic vulnerability Acknowledging areas for growth enhances credibility. Power exists in saying "I'll find out" instead of pretending omniscience.   REALITY CHECK: This impacts business results.   Qualified women: - Decline opportunities - Downplay achievements - Hesitate to negotiate - Withdraw from consideration   Organisations lose valuable talent and perspective.   The solution requires both individual action and systemic change.   We need visible pathways to leadership for women. We need to challenge biased feedback. We need women in leadership positions in meaningful numbers.   Leadership demands courage, not perfect confidence.   The world needs leaders who push past doubt - not because they never experience it, but because they refuse to let it win. https://lnkd.in/gY9G-ibh

Women, Want to Network Like a CEO? Start by Rethinking the “Old Boys’ Club” Playbook Research from Kellogg shows that women gain the most in networking when they don’t just copy traditional male-dominated strategies. Instead, the best results come when women focus on strategic alliances with other women — but with a twist. This study is more than a “fix the women” story; it highlights systemic gaps in career networking that women can actively navigate and reshape. Here's the playbook for women that I recommend: 🔹 Go Beyond “Visibility”: Central networks matter for everyone, but women benefit most from building connections that share private insights essential for navigating biased structures. These insights, often from trusted women colleagues, can make all the difference in understanding workplace nuances, including the politics and protocols that are frequently unsaid. 🔹 Diversify Close Connections: Avoid echo chambers by connecting with well-networked women who bring unique perspectives from other workplaces, industries and sectors. This diversity amplifies exposure to insights outside of a narrow view, enabling women to approach career challenges with a broader, more strategic lens. 🔹 Invest in a Balanced Network: Successful businesswomen cultivate visibility and depth in their networks — relationships that provide access and specific, actionable guidance. Women can follow this approach by building wide-ranging connections and trusted relationships, offering invaluable, gender-specific career advice. 🔑 Leadership Call to Action 1. Support strategic networks that give women access to public and private information. 2. Host events that encourage diverse, meaningful, strategic mentorships and sponsorships. 3. Coach women to prioritise networking as a core career-building activity—strategically and persistently—because effective networks don’t just happen; they are cultivated with purpose. 4. Provide women with training on building and leveraging a strategic network, in person and online. Further Resources in first comment👇 #Networking #Mentorship #Diversity

I'm not a touchy-feely person. Recently, an early colleague from Chief reconnected and shared what she admired about me was my "calm powerfulness." The way I show up at work is measured, moderated, leaning into the rational rather than the emotional. Some might say it's my nature. Others might say it's an overcorrection from years of wanting to be taken seriously as a woman in leadership. But that doesn't mean I don't care. In fact, quite the opposite. What matters most to me isn't the metrics on a dashboard. It's when the people on my team thrive. Sometimes that means staying on my team. Sometimes not. Sometimes that means staying at the company. Sometimes not. Want proof that relationships matter more than management techniques? One team member has worked with me THREE separate times. Three different roles. Two different companies. That kind of followership isn't built on chance. It's built on trust. This approach doesn't just build loyalty—it fosters genuine collaboration because relationships are built on care. No, I likely won't initiate group hugs or start meetings with emotional check-ins. But I will remember your pet's name, notice when you're not yourself, and fight for your promotion even when it means losing you from my team. It's about creating connections that outlast org charts. 💛 #AuthenticConnections #LeadershipTruths #WomenInLeadership

Companies will celebrate women this week, yet still quietly avoid everything they label as “feminine” in leadership. “Feminine” doesn’t equal weak. And it isn’t tied to one gender. It’s an energy we all possess, yet one that many people learn to suppress the moment they enter corporate life. In my work with leadership teams, I often see the same pattern. Leaders arrive to sessions highly competent, prepared, strategic. But also ARMORED: careful with their emotions, careful with their feelings and careful not to show softness, uncertainty, or vulnerability. Somewhere along the way many of us were taught that professionalism means distance and connection might undermine credibility. But the qualities we often label as “feminine” - empathy, intuition, emotional awareness, relational intelligence - are not soft extras in leadership. They are the conditions that allow trust, cooperation, and collective intelligence to emerge. So my wish for International Women’s Day is simple: that organizations stop celebrating women for one day, while quietly rejecting the very qualities that make leadership more human the rest of the year. And that leaders of all genders feel free to bring the full range of human qualities to their leadership, not only the ones that look strong on paper, but also the ones that make people want to build something meaningful together.

New Insights on Networking Strategies for Female Executives The journey to the top for female executives often faces hurdles due to limited access to informal networks. But, a groundbreaking study led by Inga Carboni from William & Mary’s Mason School of Business unveils key strategies that successful women employ to build robust networks. **Efficiency: They're masters of time management, understanding that every 'yes' necessitates a 'no' elsewhere. Prioritization and streamlined communication are their allies. *Nimbleness: Instead of solely relying on existing connections, they forge new relationships aligned with their goals, ensuring adaptability in an ever-evolving landscape. **Boundary-spanning: They bridge divides, connecting across functions, geographies, and business units. This diversity in connections fuels innovation and fosters growth. ***Energy Balance: They blend competence with warmth, leveraging emotional intelligence to build trust and drive performance. These behaviours aren't just advantageous for individual career progression; they're essential for organizational success. #WomenInLeadership #NetworkingStrategies #CareerAdvancement #Innovation #DiversityAndInclusion