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The Hidden Crisis: Why Women Are Leaving Leadership
We’ve celebrated more women entering leadership than ever before. And rightfully so.
But beneath the headlines, a quieter story is unfolding.
Women are leaving leadership pipelines at every stage…and we’re not talking about it enough.
This isn’t a pipeline issue. It’s a retention issue.
While organizations continue to focus on getting more women in the door, not enough is being done to keep them there. The so-called “leaky funnel” describes a steady drop-off of women as the ascend the career ladder, due to systemic pressures, lack of support, invisible gatekeeping and burnout.
Executive women aren’t opting out because they lack ambition. They’re opting out because the systems weren’t designed with them in mind.
What Makes High-Potential Women Exit Organizations
The Female Lead’s recent spotlight on this issue says it best: high-potential women are quietly exiting environments where they feel unseen, unsupported or stretched beyond sustainability.
Here’s what that leak looks like:
- High-performing mid-level women not being tapped for stretch roles
- Senior women passed over due to vague cultural “fit”
- Women being asked to do more emotional labor without recognition
- Burnout compounded by the pressure to perform and prove
And yet, the narrative too often blames women for “leaving.”
Three Proven Strategies to Stop the Leadership Exodus
Let’s reframe the question…What are we doing to make them stay?
3 ways we can start reinforcing the ladder:
- Create real sponsorship…not just mentorship. Women need advocates who will open doors behind closed doors.
- Audit culture and advancement patterns. Who’s consistently rising, and who’s quietly stalling out?
- Normalize flexibility and wellbeing at every level. Burnout should not be the price of success.
In my executive coaching and Mastermind programs, we name these barriers out loud and develop strategic plans to push through or move them around. These conversations don’t live in inspiration. They live in execution.
Because it’s not enough to applaud the shattered glass above us. We need to seal the cracks beneath us.\