Closing the Mid-Career Leadership Gap for Women

Sponsorship-not only mentorship-moves people into stretch roles. Leaders must be accountable for advancing talent, with visibility into who gets the high-stakes assignments.

Flexibility without career penalty is non-negotiable. Hybrid policies that quietly punish caregiving patterns recreate the same gaps under a modern label.

Calibration sessions need structured criteria and diverse panels. Affinity bias thrives in “we’ll know it when we see it” discussions.

Track promotion velocity and exit reasons by gender and level. What gets measured gets managed-and what stays anecdotal stays unsolved.