Despite the growing conversation around gender equity, women remain underrepresented in leadership roles across industries. Supporting women in leadership is the right thing to do, sure, but it is also a smart business move. Diverse leadership teams make better decisions, drive innovation, and reflect the world we live in. So, how to support women in leadership roles—and why does mentoring play such a critical part in that support?
The barriers women face on the way up
Before we can build real solutions, we need to understand the obstacles. Let’s go through some of them together.
Lack of visibility, support and sponsorship
There are many barriers for women aiming for leadership. A very prominent one is simply being seen. Too often, their contributions are overlooked, or their leadership potential goes unrecognized. Without strong advocates in the room where decisions are made, women miss out on critical promotions and stretch opportunities.
You can support the women around you by encouragement, but that’s simply not enough. What is really needed is action. Sponsorship, for example, goes further than mentorship. Sponsors put their own reputation on the line to recommend a woman for high-level roles or projects. Without that kind of backing, many capable women remain stuck in mid-level positions, despite their capabilities.
Navigating bias and workplace culture
Bias—both conscious and unconscious—shapes how women are evaluated, heard, and promoted. How does this manifest? For example, they’re often judged for assertive behavior that’s praised in male colleagues. Leadership traits like decisiveness or confidence are too often seen as “aggressive” when coming from women. On top of that, workplace culture can be isolating. If leadership teams are dominated by men, women may feel like outsiders or feel pressure to conform instead of leading in their own way. These dynamics don’t just harm women but also stifle innovation and narrow the range of perspectives in decision-making.
Building a support system for future female leaders
To change the numbers at the top, we need to change what happens at every level of a career. We need to build a whole new system, more inclusive, with built in scaffolding for everybody—such as mentoring and accountability measures.
The role of mentorship, allyship and advocacy
So, how is mentoring valuable to leadership? A lot. Mentors offer guidance, share hard-earned wisdom, and help women navigate challenges. A good mentor boosts confidence and accelerate growth by showing a clear path forward and by being honest about what it really takes to lead. But mentoring on its own isn’t enough. Allyship matters too. That means listening, learning, and stepping up—especially when it’s uncomfortable. For men and women in power, advocacy means amplifying women’s ideas, speaking out against bias, and making room at the table.
Creating leadership pipelines that include women
Long-term change requires structure. Companies that want more women leaders should remember to build pipelines that intentionally include them, so that they are ready for the change. That can be done through tracking promotion rates, setting targets, and holding leadership accountable for equity goals. Often, it can mean completely rethinking what leadership looks like. Traditionally operating organizations looking to modernize their management should broaden their definition of leadership to recognize collaboration, emotional intelligence, and team development—areas where many women excel.
The company’s leadership training programs, succession planning, and high-impact projects should all include women from the start. Waiting for them to “prove” themselves first just keeps the imbalance going. Supporting women in leadership roles takes more than good intentions. It requires action, accountability, and systems built for equity. Mentorship, advocacy, and inclusive pipelines are useful tools to help your company go through these changes smoothly. And once the whole company gets this right, everyone benefits.
