
Now You See Her, Now You Don’t: Why Women Vanish Before Reaching Leadership
You ever watch a magician pull a rabbit out of a hat and think, “Where the hell did it go after the trick?” That’s kind of what happens to women in the workplace. One minute, they’re right there in the mix- climbing, pushing, winning. The next? Poof. They vanish before reaching the big, fancy corner office.
Let’s be honest- this isn’t some magic trick. It’s a systemic problem that companies keep “addressing” in theory, while doing very little in practice. So, what’s really happening, why do women disappear, and what can organizations actually do about it (without feeling like they’re getting nagged into it)?
Let’s pull back the curtain.
The Reality of the Vanishing Act
Simply put, women aren’t reaching leadership roles at anywhere close to the rate they enter the workforce. Let's look at some facts:
McKinsey & LeanIn's Women in the workplace report shows that women make up almost half of entry-level roles, yet only 28% of C-suite positions are held by women.
Globally, only 32% of senior leadership roles are filled by women- and that number drops drastically in tech, finance, and manufacturing, according to Grant Thorton.
In mid-career, when leadership paths typically open, women are leaving at twice the rate of men. (LeanIn.Org & McKinsey 2023)

These numbers don’t lie. Women aren’t opting out. They’re being squeezed out.
Why Are Women Pulling a Houdini? The Real Reasons
1. The Double Shift Dilemma
Women disproportionately shoulder unpaid care work, including child-rearing, eldercare, and household management. According to the OECD, women spend 4.1 hours a day on unpaid care work, compared to 1.7 hours for men. That’s a whole second shift. This “second shift” limits time and energy for career advancement.
Companies often fail to account for this reality in how they design roles, performance expectations, and promotion criteria.

2. The Bias You Can’t Quite Prove (But You Definitely Feel)
Women face unconscious bias that questions their leadership potential. Research shows that women are often perceived as less “competent” or “leader-like” than men, especially in traditionally male-dominated industries. This bias affects hiring, promotion, and evaluation decisions.
And here’s the real kicker: this bias exists despite overwhelming evidence that women are highly effective leaders. A 2021 study by Zenger Folkman found that women outperform men in things like taking initiative, driving for results, building relationships, and acting with integrity.
So basically...women are being overlooked while being objectively better at the job. Make it make sense.
In fact, a Harvard Business Review study found women are 21% less likely to be promoted than equally qualified men. Yikes. Bias isn’t just unfair—it’s bad business.
3. The Missing Sponsors
Mentors give you advice. Sponsors put your name in rooms you’re not in yet. Research by the Center for Talent Innovation shows men are 30% more likely to have sponsors than women.
Sponsors don’t just give advice- they advocate. They put women forward for promotions, stretch roles, and high-visibility projects. Without them, women stay in the background.
4. The Culture Trap
Some companies still cling to outdated beliefs: that good workers are the last to leave, the loudest in the room, and the most “committed” (read: available 24/7). But this model excludes anyone with responsibilities outside the office- and disproportionately impacts women (as per point 1)
Inflexible work cultures are the #1 reason women leave jobs mid-career, according to McKinsey's 2022 research: The Great Breakup.
5. The Confidence Tax
Impostor syndrome is real- but let’s stop treating it like a personal failing. 75% of executive women report experiencing impostor syndrome at some point shows a KPMG Women's Leadership Study 2020

But here’s the twist: it’s not because they aren’t capable. It’s because the environment tells them (albeit subtly and constantly) that they don’t belong.
What Can Companies Actually Do to Keep Women — Without Becoming the “Diversity Police”?
Let’s skip the fluff.
No one- and I mean no one- wants to sit through another “Unconscious Bias 101” video while multitasking with their email tab open. Employees are tired. Leaders are overwhelmed. And women? They’re quietly disappearing from leadership pipelines, despite being more qualified, more committed, and frankly, more valuable than ever.
So what do we do?

We stop ticking boxes.And we start building environments where women don’t just survive- they lead, thrive, and stay.
Step One: Redefine What Leadership Actually Looks Like
In too many rooms, leadership still looks like the loudest voice at the table, the one who dominates meetings, or the person sending emails at 11:59 p.m. That “alpha” model is exclusionary.
Real leadership is strategic thinking. Emotional intelligence. The ability to inspire trust. To remain calm under pressure. To build others up.
And the research is crystal clear: women consistently excel in these areas. According to a Harvard Business Review study, women outscore men in 17 of the 19 most critical leadership capabilities.
If we only promote those who “own the room,” we miss the ones quietly transforming it.
Step Two: Make Flexibility the Norm- Not a Favor
Flexibility is not a women’s issue. It’s a human one.
The solution? Make flexibility systemic, not situational.
Think: core hours instead of constant availability. Remote-first options. Job shares. Four-day workweeks. Agile scheduling that respects energy, health, caregiving, and the need to actually live.
According to LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends 2022, companies offering flexible work see 40% higher retention among women.
And when flexibility is done right? Everyone wins and performance increases.
Step Three: Make Sponsorship a System, Not a Coincidence
We need to stop treating sponsorship like a nice-to-have.
Make it measurable. Track who’s getting tapped for stretch opportunities, and who isn’t. Build sponsorship into leadership KPIs. Train managers on how to do it well.
When sponsorship is part of the system, not an accident, women rise. Promotion rates increase. Talent sticks. And your pipeline suddenly looks a lot more like the future of work- not the past.
Step Four: Audit Your Pay and Promotion Practices — And Fix What’s Broken
Here’s the hard pill: women don’t need to “negotiate better.”
Companies like Salesforce, Adobe, and Buffer now conduct annual pay audits and have closed gender pay gaps entirely.

They don’t wait for women to knock on the door. They build compensation transparency, fix discrepancies proactively, and use data instead of gut feeling to make promotion decisions.
If you’re not measuring this stuff? You’re not managing it.
Step Five: Make Bias-Busting Behavioral- Not Theoretical
Bias training isn’t bad. But it’s not enough.
Awareness is the first step. But if you want real change, you need to shift behavior. That means building bias-resistance into how you hire, promote, review, and recognize.
Think:
Structured interviews that reduce subjective decisions.
Anonymous resumes that minimize name and background bias.
Bias checklists for performance reviews.
Real-time feedback systems instead of once-a-year appraisals.
Project Include offers a wealth of tactical ideas for this.
This isn’t about blame. It’s about better design. Because if you want different outcomes, you need different defaults.
The Business Case (Yes, We Have Receipts)
If those stats above didn’t quite seal the deal on why women in leadership matter, here’s a little extra ammo for you:
McKinsey found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams are 25% more likely to outperform financially.
Boston Consulting Group found that gender-diverse teams are more innovative, more resilient, and more productive.
When women stay, your bottom line gets better. Period.
The Houdini Grand Finale
You don’t need to become the “diversity police.” Just make leadership accessible to more kinds of people- including the ones juggling real life off-screen.
Because here’s the twist: women aren’t pulling a disappearing act. They’re evolving. And they’re waiting for systems that evolve with them.
🎶 Or in the immortal words of Dua Lipa: “I come and I go… Houdini.”
Let’s build companies where she doesn’t have to.