Enabling Women’s Leadership by Building the Pipeline

“Our women managers are very capable and have a lot of potential.” It’s a phrase we hear often from many of our clients. However, "If potential is so visible, what prevents its progression to senior leadership. especially for women?” In our women leadership workshops, women at middle management ask strikingly similar questions:

What Women Ask

“I'm already stretched—can I really take on more?”
“How do I find mentors or sponsors?”
“If I say I’m ambitious, will I be seen as too aggressive or bold?”
“I don’t see anyone like me at the top—so is this even possible?”

What Managers Say (Often Unintentionally)

At the same time, we hear another set of narratives from managers:
“She collaborates well—but is she tough enough?”
“That role needs travel and stretch—how will she manage everything else?”

The Pressure Point: Middle Management

Middle management is where leadership expectations spike—and where internal barriers (shaped by years of socialisation) collide with systemic ones.
In societies where women are still seen as primary caregivers, these beliefs don’t switch off at the office door. They influence:

• How risk is assessed
• Who raises their hand
• Who waits to be “fully ready” At the same time, organizations often reward visibility, constant availability, and assertiveness—without questioning whether these norms unintentionally filter talent.

A Moment That Changes a Career

I remember a conversation with Neha, a high-performing middle manager in a large IT firm.
When her manager offered her a high-impact assignment, she paused and said:
“Maybe later. I already have a lot on my plate—professionally and personally.”
Her manager replied, kindly:
“I understand. You must be juggling a lot right now.”
It sounded empathetic. But the assignment quietly moved on.
Neha made a choice—but it was shaped by years of conditioning. And one moment of hesitation became a missed inflection point.

Where the Pipeline Actually Breaks

Over years of working with more than 170 organisations and close to 15000 women participants, we’ve noticed a clear pattern: Companies that struggle to build a strong pipeline of senior women leaders often lose momentum much earlier.
This is why investing in women-focused development programs early is critical—well before leadership transitions begin.

The 5 Enablers of Women’s Leadership:

S.C.A.L.E. Organizations that successfully grow women leaders don’t rely on intent alone. They design for scale.

S — Stretch with Intent

Many organizations identify high-potential women—but potential only turns into readiness when paired with the right experiences.
Organizations can:

• Clearly define what senior leadership roles truly require
• Map the experiences & challenging assignments or opportunities needed to move ahead
• Intentionally place women in cross-functional, revenue-linked, and strategic roles If leadership roles demand specific stretch and exposure, women must get access to it early—not just encouragement.

C — Champions, Not Just Managers

Managers play a pivotal role in shaping careers, yet many are unaware of how everyday decisions impact women differently. A manager once told me, “I treat everyone the same.”
When we looked closer, all high-visibility assignments over two years had gone to men—without any conscious intent.
Organizations that see progress:

• Train managers to notice patterns in delegation and feedback
• Provide simple tools or checklists for inclusive decision-making
• Hold managers accountable for developing people, not just delivering targets When managers actively develop and sponsor women—by recommending them, advocating for them, and backing them—careers accelerate.

A — Address the Reality Women Navigate

A participant in one of my workshops once told me, “This is the first time I could talk about guilt, visibility, ambition and bias – and feel understood.”
Effective programs:

• Surface self-limiting beliefs shaped by socialisation
• Build presence, influence, and credibility
• Help women own ambition authentically

L — Life Transitions Are Leadership Transitions

Pregnancy, caregiving, or personal transitions often collide with leadership growth.
In one organisation, a woman was moved out of a client-facing role during pregnancy. When she returned, the role had been “filled.”
Organizations that retain women leaders:

• Plan transitions proactively
• Keep women connected to critical work
• Separate short-term availability from long-term potential

E — Evidence Over Assumptions What gets measured gets managed.

Healthy pipelines track:

• Who receives stretch assignments
• Who gets exposure to senior leaders
• Who is actively sponsored Without data and measurement, bias stays invisible.

So really the question isn’t “Do women need separate development programs?”
It’s “Are our systems & efforts designed to develop women equitably?”
Women-only leadership development programs, when done well, are not about exclusion. They are about correcting for invisible gaps—before talent leaks out of the pipeline.

A Call to Action

If you are a business leader, HR partner, or DEI sponsor, ask yourself:

• Where do our women leaders start to hesitate?
• Who gets the stretch before they feel 100% ready?
• Which managers are actively sponsoring women—and which aren’t?

At Interweave Consulting, we work with organizations to intervene early to build their women leadership pipelines. Because the cost of waiting is not just fewer women at the top.
It’s leadership potential that never gets the chance to scale.

By Shubhashree Naldurg, Interweave Consulting Pvt. Ltd.