How to Improve Women's Advancement Programs

But by taking this approach, companies may be unintentionally communicating a culture of conformity by asking women to change who they are to succeed. This leaves many women, especially senior women, feeling stuck, because strong leaders need to have the ability to set expectations, not just fulfill them.

The authors surveyed 310 corporate workers in the U.S. about their understanding of power. They found that empowering and advancing women requires more than a confidence curriculum, updated lists, or empty KPIs because these strategies don't address the deeper issues of belonging, hidden barriers, or broken culture.

"Women's empowerment" is a common goal of gender-equity initiatives. But what do we really mean when we say we're empowering women?

Read at Harvard Business Review