Women in Leadership: Why We Need Real Change, Not Just Celebrations

We’ve been celebrating women in leadership for decades now. Panels, awards, initiatives—yes, they’re important, but how much has actually changed? The barriers that kept women from stepping into leadership roles 20 years ago are still very much in place. Sure, we have more visibility, more awareness, but that’s not the same as real, systemic progress.

When I started conducting 20 years ago, there were hardly any women in my field. It wasn’t just a “boys’ club”—it was a whole institution built to keep women out. One of my professors told me, flat-out, that I should go and study something more “feminine” so I would have an easier life when I decide to have children. Fast forward two decades, and while we’ve moved the needle a little, the deep, systemic changes that need to happen for women to really thrive in leadership remain insufficient.

We don’t need more celebrations—we need change. Here’s what that looks like.

1. Pathways, Not Just Platforms

It’s easy to celebrate women in leadership when you host a shiny panel discussion or put a few women in the spotlight, but visibility without opportunity is an empty offer. When I started out, there were no clear paths for how I could move forward in my career. I had to figure it out on my own, swimming upstream in a system designed to keep me out.

What we need today are structured programs that build women’s leadership from the ground up. Mentorships that open doors, sponsorships that give women a real shot at climbing the ladder, and leadership programs that don’t just train women to fit into a system but encourage them to transform it.

2. Pay Transparency is the Bare Minimum

The truth is that even when women make it into leadership roles, they’re often paid less than their male counterparts. Most women I know, myself included, have experienced this.

If we want real change, we need pay transparency across the board. Women deserve to know they’re being compensated fairly. Companies need to open the books and show their pay structures. This isn’t an issue we can solve with more panels or awards. It’s solved when companies commit to real equity.

3. Tokenism is Not the Same as Progress

Being the only woman at the table isn’t progress—it’s exhausting. There’s nothing groundbreaking about being the lone woman in a sea of men. For years, I was the only woman on the podium, and let me tell you, the pressure to represent every woman in the room is no badge of honor, it’s a burden. Tokenism is alive and well in many industries today.

Real progress isn’t when a company hires one woman in a leadership role and pats itself on the back. It’s when women are integrated into every level of leadership and no longer stand out as the exception. When there are enough women in leadership that it doesn’t even warrant a headline, that’s when we’ll know we’ve made real progress.

4. Stop Telling Women to "Lead Like Men"

For years, I was told to be less feminine, to consider wearing a tuxedo to the concert in order to seem more authoritative. In other words, act like a man if I wanted to succeed. I tried it for a bit, but it never made sense. The truth is, women don’t need to lead like men to be effective leaders. We bring our own strengths to the table, and those strengths are just as valuable, if not more so, in today’s world.

Real leadership isn’t about mimicking someone else’s style. It’s about owning your voice, your strengths, and leading authentically. If we want real change for women in leadership, we need to stop asking women to conform to outdated leadership models and start valuing what they bring to the table.

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5. Accountability, Not Just Awareness

We’ve talked about the gender gap in leadership for so long that it’s become background noise, but awareness is not enough anymore, we need accountability. Companies love to release diversity reports, but what good are they if they’re not being held accountable for making real progress?

Real change happens when companies are willing to put metrics in place and hold themselves to a higher standard. How many women are they promoting? Are they tracking pay equity? Are they ensuring that women in leadership are staying in those roles, not leaving after a few years of burnout? It’s time to hold companies accountable, not just for hiring women but for creating an environment where they can thrive.

Women in leadership don’t need more token celebrations. We need systemic changes that create pathways to leadership, ensure pay equity, and allow us to lead in our own way. It’s time to stop talking about progress and start making it happen.

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