The most powerful leadership skill I’ve developed isn’t on my resume.
It’s not strategic planning or financial acumen. It’s not even emotional intelligence.
It’s the ability to lift others as I climb.
Throughout my career, I’ve witnessed two distinct environments for women in leadership. In one, women view each other as competition for the same limited seats at the table. In the other, women actively create more seats by supporting each other’s advancement.
The difference in outcomes is stark.
The Hard Truth About Our Current Pace
Despite gains in representation, at the current rate of progress, it will take almost 50 years to reach gender parity for all women in corporate sector. For women of color, the timeline stretches even longer—more than twice as long as for white women, who might see parity by 2046, 22 years from now.
We simply can’t wait that long.
This isn’t a matter of patience. It’s a call for deliberate action.
Beyond Good Intentions
We often talk about “lifting as we climb” in aspirational terms. But what does that actually look like in practice?
Research shows women are often over-mentored but under-sponsored. While mentorship provides guidance and advice, sponsorship is about action—using influence to propel women into leadership roles.
This “sponsorship gap” represents one of the most critical barriers to women’s advancement.
Small Actions, Systemic Impact
Lifting others isn’t reserved for those with formal authority or established positions. It’s built from everyday actions that any woman at any level can implement:
Speaking someone’s name in rooms they can’t access. When you’re in a meeting where decisions about opportunities are made, mention qualified women who should be considered.
Celebrating wins without hesitation. When a woman in your network achieves something noteworthy, amplify it without qualification or comparison.
Making introductions that matter. Connect women in your network to people who can advance their careers, not just to other women at their same level.
Sharing information openly. Transparency about salaries, opportunities, and unwritten rules helps level the playing field.
Creating space even when you’re still climbing. You don’t need to “arrive” before you can help others. Some of the most powerful support comes from women just one step ahead.
The Collective Power of Women Supporting Women
When women back each other consistently, the entire system shifts.
Companies that outperform their peers in advancing women leaders are 17 percentage points more likely to have leadership that plays an active role in shaping diversity and inclusion strategy. These organizations also track promotion rates for women more consistently.
This isn’t coincidence. It’s causation.
Organizations where women support other women create sustainable pipelines of female talent. They retain their best people. They innovate more effectively. They outperform their competitors.
From Individual Actions to Collective Movement
At Ellect, we’ve seen firsthand how women supporting women creates real change. Our vision of enabling 100,000 women worldwide to achieve leadership and board roles by 2030 isn’t just an aspiration—it’s a movement built on this principle of collective lifting.
The journey to leadership isn’t solo. It never has been, despite the myths we tell about self-made success.
Every leader stands on the shoulders of others who advocated for them, created opportunities for them, and removed barriers in their path.
For women, this truth is even more profound. In systems not designed for our advancement, our collective strength becomes our greatest asset.
Your Role in the Movement
You don’t need to overhaul your organization’s policies or launch a formal program to start lifting other women. Begin with what’s in your control today:
Identify three women in your network you can actively sponsor, not just mentor.
Create a “brag document” for someone else, highlighting their achievements and skills.
Share an opportunity you might want for yourself but that could be perfect for another woman in your network.
Amplify another woman’s voice in your next meeting when she makes a valuable point.
The ripple effect of these actions extends far beyond the immediate impact. When women experience being lifted by other women, they’re more likely to do the same for others.
This is how movements grow. This is how systems change.
The Future We Can Build Together
Leadership is an expanding universe where each woman who rises creates gravitational pull that brings others along.
When we lift as we lead, we don’t just change individual trajectories. We transform the very landscape of leadership.
And that transformation happens one deliberate action at a time.
What’s one small way you’ve lifted another woman recently? And more importantly, what’s your next step?
The future of women in leadership depends on our answer.