Over the past decade, we’ve witnessed significant strides in women achieving and aspiring to senior roles globally. Companies have played a crucial part in this progress by implementing enhanced benefits, flexible work models, and expanded training programs. However, the journey to fully close the gender gap requires more than just policies; it demands inclusive behaviors from every leader, every day. This blog post delves into how leadership actions are the key to unlocking the next chapter of growth.

A Decade of Notable Gains and Rising Aspirations

The past ten years have marked considerable advancements for women in the workplace, especially in leadership positions. Women’s representation in mid and senior management has increased by 5 percentage points, and their presence at the CEO and board levels of Fortune 500 companies has nearly doubled, from 5% of CEOs and 17% of board members in 2014 to 11% and 30%, respectively, in 2024. This remarkable shift is visually highlighting significant gains for women in Fortune 500 leadership at the CEO and board of directors levels

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This progress is mirrored in women’s growing aspiration and confidence levels. In 2014, only 16% of mid-career women aspired to top management, and 13% felt confident in their ability to reach it. By 2024, these figures soared to 54% for aspiration and 59% for confidence, as detailed in 2024 survey  : “More women want to get to the top and believe they can get there”. The story of Laura Mather, Group Chief Operating Officer at Société Générale, perfectly illustrates this need for encouragement; her boss’s push was crucial for her progression, especially as she initially hesitated, unlike many of her male counterparts who actively advocated for themselves.

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Broad Investments Fuel Progress, But Gaps Remain
Since 2019, organizations have significantly invested in enterprise-wide efforts to foster women’s career growth. Data shows that 57% of employees surveyed in 2024 believed their companies offered flexible work arrangements, a notable increase from 23% in 2019. Similarly, access to leadership, communication, and networking training expanded from 37% to 62% in the same period. These changes are summarized in the following report: “Adoption of enterprise-wide policies and efforts has increased dramatically”.

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These initiatives have demonstrably boosted aspiration and confidence for everyone, not just women. The historical mid-career dip in women’s aspiration and confidence has disappeared; instead, it now rises steadily throughout their careers, with the largest gains seen at mid-career and senior levels. This positive trend is depicted: “Women no longer experience a mid-career dip in aspiration and confidence, though gaps relative to men remain”. While this progress is commendable, a gap in aspiration and confidence between women and men persists across all levels.

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The Next Frontier: Sustained Behavioral Shifts, Emerging Differentiators
To sustain momentum and ensure all talent thrives, organizations must look beyond just policies and programs towards sustained behavioral shifts. Researchs identified three categories of interventions: “Table Stakes” (highly valued, widely adopted HR benefits), “Best Practices” (valued, effective enterprise-wide efforts like unbiased recruiting), and critically, “Emerging Differentiators”.
These “Emerging Differentiators,” are high-impact interventions not yet widely appreciated or adopted, largely centering on leadership behaviors. The 10 global senior executive women interviewed for the report emphasized how these pivotal moments accelerated their paths to the top.

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Here are the four key emerging differentiators:

  • Fostering a growth mindset that encourages risk-taking: Many women feel the pressure to “check every box” before pursuing a role. A growth mindset reframes risk as a learning opportunity, reinforcing that continuous growth and adaptation are key to success.
  • Enabling employees to make career choices that fuel their energy: Leaders can guide employees to identify their energy sources and provide the flexibility and opportunities to pursue those areas, accelerating career growth by leaning into strengths.
  • Maximizing transparency in career path options: Leaders should act as guides, helping employees understand available pathways and the skills needed for advancement, whether through direct climbs or lateral “passport” moves.
  • Promoting authentic leadership: Recognizing that successful leadership can come in many forms, aligned with individual values and strengths, helps unlock the full potential of diverse talent. As Joanne Crevoiserat, CEO of Tapestry, shared: “CEOs come in many styles. Just because you haven’t seen one that shares your background and leadership style doesn’t mean you can’t do the job and make it your own”. This aligns with the source’s finding that authentic leaders build trust, boost engagement, and drive better team performance.

Corine De Bilbao, CEO of Microsoft France, powerfully demonstrates the strength found in vulnerability: “Asking for help isn’t a weakness—it’s a strength. And people love to help.”. This underscores the importance of a supportive environment where leaders encourage and enable such behaviors.

Embedding Behavioral Change for All

While great leaders and mentors are already making a difference, these impactful behaviors are often ad hoc. The next phase of growth isn’t about individual women finding the “right” mentor; it’s about embedding these supportive, growth-oriented behaviors into everyday leadership so that all talent receives the support needed to reach their full potential.

This type of widespread behavioral change requires ongoing, intentional effort from everyone. It moves beyond merely implementing HR policies to leaders consistently showing up with intention during critical career-shaping moments.

(This analysis builds upon previous Bain & Company research, including “Everyday Moments of Truth” (2014), “Charting the Course” (2017), and “Gender Parity: Inspiring Women to Reach for the C-Suite” (2020), which have consistently explored factors driving women’s aspiration and confidence, often shaped by frontline managers. You can hypothetically explore these related reports on Elev8ive.co through our “Leadership Insights Archive”).

Ready to champion inclusive leadership and propel your organization’s talent to new heights? Share your thoughts in the comments below!