Women in leadership: a crisis of confidence?

A growing body of evidence links gender balance in leadership to better organisational performance and corporate governance (McKinsey & Company, 2016). At a national level, equalising women’s productivity and employment to the same levels as men’s could add £600 billion to the UK economy, clearing a third of our national debt (Women’s Business Council, 2015). Yet there appears to be a disconnect i.e. women want to lead, but something is holding them back. Understanding what that might be and how barriers may be overcome is critical to providing the right support. Whilst there is strong evidence that many barriers are institutional, there are other factors at play. KPMG (2015) refers to the socialisation of leadership, citing the messages women receive early in their lives as having a profound effect on their view of leadership throughout their career.