Why women – and a generation – are quietly opting out of traditional power structures at work
It’s fair to say 2025 wasn’t a great year for diversity and inclusion. An increasingly macho international political climate and discriminatory policymaking led to many to quietly shelving diversity spending and commitment. When it comes to gender equality specifically, at the end of last year, the Women in the Workplace 2025 report by McKinsey and Company & Lean In sent a clear warning: while most organisations still talk about inclusion, only half now prioritise women’s career advancement – and that decline has consequences.
Not a Lack of Ambition, but a Rejection of the Offer
It isn’t just businesses opting out, people are too. One conversation I had last year continues to stick out in my mind. It was with a very experienced C-suite headhunter who revealed that a growing number of senior women are being offered C-suite roles, only to turn them down. The candidates and the capability exists, but seemingly the desire is dwindling. What strikes me is there’s a growing number of talented women out there who are looking at the unrealistic pressure, the expectation, the spotlight, and the criticism that accompanies our current definition of leadership – and deciding it isn’t for them.
The lazy summary of this trend is that women are ‘unambitious’. Indeed, ‘the ambition gap’ is a proven gender stereotype that continues to blight women’s advancement at all levels of organisations. That summary is neither accurate nor helpful. At the same time as this conversation, research revealed that mid-life women are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs in the UK. What does this suggest? That women are voting with their feet.
If Work Isn’t Working, It’s Time to Redesign It
For many, and especially post Covid, the traditional, outdated world of work isn’t working anymore. It’s not just women feeling this way. By far the most common discussion I had with our mentors, with clients, with peers in 2025 was about how to manage and motivate Gen Z at work. This is a generation for whom flexibility and diversity are significant drivers and who are struggling to find their way in many traditional workplaces. Meanwhile, we have record numbers of young people post university out of work due to huge scaling back of apprenticeship schemes and entry level programmes wondering what a career will look like to them.
So, we have a generation and a gender starting to question the world of work – who is it serving, men? Not really.
I’d argue that all the reasons why some women are voting with their feet, turning down roles or leaving organisations impact men too, but it’s somehow less acceptable to say so. Those stereotypes of the Great Male Leader, defining resilience as toughing it out, working 7 until 7, prioritising the job over all else – does anyone truly aspire to that? If you take away the motivator of money, the ‘sell’ for being a leader isn’t straightforward.
What’s clear is that ‘work’ needs to work better for people. The tough economic climate we’re now experiencing won’t last forever, and it won’t be too much longer before we are hearing relentless panic once more about the ‘skills crisis’ and competition for talent. So, if businesses want to retain their best people, things need to change.
Where the Argument Meets Reality
Why does this matter to me? Our organisation focuses on supporting mid-level women, the age and stage with the greatest retention challenge and the greatest threat to the sector’s long term gender diversity. We have always recognised that we can’t make the changes we want to see without men’s help, and we know a win for women is a win for men and vice versa. Especially in the modern world, where the majority of heterosexual couples both work and both have childcare responsibilities.
My hope for 2026 is that we will start to see more examples of companies breaking the mould. One large consultancy that we work with has recently offered a Divisional Directorship to two returning mothers in a job share arrangement. Fractional and portfolio style roles are also gaining traction; part time leadership or specialist positions where individuals contribute their expertise on a flexible basis. The knock-on effect of these kind of interventions could be transformational.
There’s a theory of change that posits once the suffering becomes greater than the reward the first stage of change will begin. There can be no doubt that work suffering is being felt – and acted upon – by many. The onus now is on businesses and leaders to respond and bring the change the workplace needs.
