I was first offered a seat at an executive table nearly two decades ago. I remember pausing before entering the boardroom. I was not hesitating about my preparedness since I was as prepared as I could be under the circumstances. Instead, I was mentally counting how many women in leadership would be in the room.

Two. Out of over a dozen executives.

That moment shaped how I understood the journey ahead.

Understanding the Landscape of Women in Leadership

I am one example of a woman who was granted the opportunity to have a chair at the leadership table when I was forty years junior to my colleagues. This opportunity was an honor and a responsibility, yet a seat alone is not enough to thrive. I had to build a strong support system, and I received guidance from many people along the way. My professional life of service is central to who I am, and I work to show up fully. I have been fortunate to learn from women in leadership and from men who intentionally open doors for women. I remain grateful for that.

Research by McKinsey and LeanIn.org published in 2024 shows that women are promoted more slowly than men, receive less actionable feedback, and are often evaluated more harshly when they lead decisively. Harvard’s Rosabeth Moss Kanter described this reality decades ago as the “visibility paradox”, the fewer women in a room, the more their actions are scrutinized.

What makes this landscape exclusive is not a lack of opportunity. Instead, it is the narrow definition of leadership itself. We still reward a familiar style and a familiar voice. Expanding who we recognize as leaders strengthens teams and outcomes.

How Leadership Evolves Over Time

During my first day in the boardroom, I carried an expansive vision of leadership. I knew it would take time to turn that vision into reality. I am still working on it.

Over the years, I noticed how employees who felt unseen would fall silent. I saw high performers burn out when their efforts went unacknowledged. These experiences were especially common among women from underrepresented backgrounds and among women with caregiving responsibilities. They balanced many priorities while working to lead with purpose.

Along this journey, I learned that leadership is not only about carving new paths. It is also about paving the way so others can move forward with confidence. Leadership is not the volume of your voice. It is the clarity of your intent. People feel that difference.

A Story that Illustrates Leadership in Action

Consider a recent investment in Nest Health by Global Impact Fund, the venture capital fund where I serve as Managing Partner. Nest Health was founded by a physician who is also the mother of five children. She understands what it means to manage a career while caring for loved ones. Nest Health brings twenty four seven care into the homes of families who qualify for Medicaid at no cost to them. One appointment serves the entire family and removes the burden of waiting rooms, time off work, childcare arrangements, and transportation.

Nest is expanding across the United States to support vulnerable communities. This progress comes from founders who understand the specific health care challenges families face and who turn that understanding into business innovation. Lived experience strengthens leadership and sharpens a leader’s ability to design solutions that meet families where they are.

When we invest in leaders who bring varied lived experiences to the executive table, we move beyond “do good.” We expand the system’s intelligence and build market driven solutions. Nest Health shows what can happen when leadership reflects the world it aims to serve.

How I Support Emerging Leaders

One of the most fulfilling parts of my career is supporting underrepresented professionals, including women, who are at key inflection points in their leadership journeys.

I recommend them for stretch projects. I nominate them for board roles. I make sure their ideas are credited. I hand them the microphone whenever possible. When I am told someone is not ready, I ask “Why not” and follow with “Why” if the answer lacks substance.

Sponsorship is not about access. It is about reinforcing that people already belong.

I also redesigned how we assess leadership potential inside the organizations I lead. Traditional assessments prize loud confidence and often penalize reflective thinking. Today, we evaluate readiness based on potential, competency, consistency, follow through, and trust building. These factors paint a fuller picture of a leader’s capability.

The result is higher retention, broader innovation, and a culture where more people feel safe taking ownership. Every time an emerging leader finds her footing, the entire team gains stability. The ripple effects can be profound.

The Work Ahead for Inclusive Leadership

There is no simple fix for gender imbalance in leadership. Yet there is a discipline that every colleague, executive, board member, and shareholder can practice.

Show up. Listen. Lift.

Notice who speaks without interruption. Notice whose ideas receive credit. Support leaders who create environments where everyone can contribute fully.

For those already in positions of influence, progress is not only measured by how many women are in the room. It is measured by how freely those women lead in their own voices.

Recently, I walked into a board meeting and did not bother to count how many women were present. I already knew. I had helped hire the executives and recruit the board members.

When the women in leadership roles spoke, the room turned their way.

When women no longer carry the burden of belonging, they carry the work forward in ways that move us all forward.

That is the kind of progress we must continue building together.