Supporting Women from Middle Management into Senior Leadership Roles
For many women, the journey from middle management to senior leadership feels like a labyrinth. It’s not through lack of ambition, talent, or drive. It’s about navigating the invisible barriers – systems, practices, and biases that often go unnoticed but have a profound impact on progression. These barriers aren’t always easy to see, but they’re certainly felt. And as we focus on accelerating action, we’ve got to ask ourselves: How can we make senior leadership roles more accessible for women, and what can organisations do to break down these barriers?
The Invisible Barriers Holding Women Back
At the heart of it, the real question is: are we aware of the structural and cultural dynamics that influence progression, and how they might limit the careers of our most talented individuals? Many middle managers possess the skills, knowledge, and experience needed for senior leadership, yet often find themselves stuck. Why? Because the organisational practices in place might not be designed with their success in mind. The pathway from middle management to senior leadership isn’t just about a performance review or a promotion; it’s about creating an environment where women can grow into those roles without conforming to outdated expectations.
Creating the Right Support Systems
One of the first steps in creating a fairer system is understanding that talent alone doesn’t always get you to the top. The systems for progression can sometimes favour those who have had access to informal networks, mentorship, or opportunities for high-visibility projects. It’s not just about delivering results – it’s about having the right support and sponsorship. Women can often find themselves excluded from these crucial spaces, making it more challenging to stand out from the crowd and gain the credibility needed for senior leadership roles.
If we want to break down these barriers, organisations need to rethink their approach to mentorship and sponsorship. Instead of the usual, well-meaning yet sometimes superficial “networking events” there needs to be a deliberate effort to match emerging women leaders with senior sponsors who will advocate for them. It’s not just about giving advice; it’s about creating advocates willing to take a stand and provide opportunities that pave the way for women to progress into more senior roles.
Challenging Bias
Challenging biases in promotion processes is also key. Bias can creep in more subtly than we realise – whether it’s in the language of job descriptions, the criteria used to assess potential, or the unspoken preferences for certain leadership styles. Organisations must look at their promotion criteria and ask: Are we truly assessing leadership potential based on the qualities that matter most, or are we inadvertently rewarding those who display traits traditionally associated with senior leadership – even if they’re not the most effective for that role?
One powerful way to address this is by ensuring women are present in career development conversations for rising women leaders at the senior middle management level. Fostering a supportive and inclusive environment where women can actively participate in these discussions helps to address gender-specific challenges and break down the barriers to advancement.
This approach echoes the insights from our Women at the Top paper, which highlights the importance of creating structured opportunities for women to engage in meaningful career conversations and gain visibility in leadership pipelines. By embedding these practices, organisations can create a more balanced and equitable system where leadership potential is recognised and nurtured, regardless of gender.
Redefining Leadership for the Modern Workplace
In a world where flexibility is increasingly becoming a necessity, the traditional notions of leadership that favour long hours or constant availability should be questioned. The assumption that senior leadership requires a “one-size-fits-all” approach often overlooks the diversity of experiences, workstyles, and values that women bring. Supporting women in their journey requires redefining what successful leadership looks like, especially in a post-pandemic world where emotional intelligence, collaboration, and adaptability are just as important as decisiveness and drive.
This is where organisations must move from thinking about diversity as a compliance issue to embracing it as a key business driver. The goal should be to create an environment where leadership reflects diverse strengths and perspectives, not a narrow set of characteristics. Women don’t need to be “more like men” to be successful leaders. Instead, they need environments that allow them to lead in ways that are authentic to them and reflect the diversity of their experiences.
The Business Case for Gender Diversity in Leadership
The results speak for themselves. Research consistently shows that organisations with a more diverse leadership team are better equipped to innovate, engage their employees, and make decisions that reflect the needs of their diverse customer bases. It’s not just the right thing to do – it’s the smart thing to do.
How We Can Help
At Bailey & French, we help organisations create the conditions for these changes. It’s not about one-off initiatives or token gestures; it’s about embedding a long-term culture of change that allows everyone, regardless of gender, to rise based on merit and potential. With actionable strategies that address the systemic hurdles women face, we can help create equitable leadership pathways, so women aren’t just making it to the table – they’re leading from it.
The Call to Action for Senior Leaders
The question for senior leaders, and board members is this: Are you ready to rethink the pathways to leadership? Are you prepared to challenge the invisible barriers holding back some of your best talent? Because when women progress, everyone benefits – from organisational culture to bottom-line results. Let’s make that change happen, together.