What women told us about leadership, visibility, and confidence

7 mins. 7 mins.

Understanding women’s leadership: confidence, visibility, and career progression.

When women talk about leadership, the conversation often returns to confidence. Not because women lack it, but because confidence is still too often treated as proof of readiness, ambition, and authority – and demanded in ways that are not applied evenly.

To better understand women’s leadership experiences, career progression, and barriers to promotion, #tecHER ran a short survey exploring visibility, sponsorship, workplace fairness, and the role of AI in career growth, and compared it to broader, global research studies to confirm our findings.

The findings reveal a clear pattern: women are not held back by capability, but by systems that are often unclear, inconsistent, and overly dependent on self-advocacy.

Research (see our reading list below) supports this. Studies show that a significant percentage of women report lower confidence at work and delay applying for leadership roles – highlighting how structural dynamics, rather than individual ability, influence outcomes.

Vinutha Nagaraj

Elena Sokolova

Juliana Pintarelli Feller

Career advancement for women: a priority – but not always a reality

Two-thirds of respondents said that career advancement opportunities for women are a priority in their organization. However, one in three disagreed or were unsure – highlighting a gap between intent and lived experience.

At the heart of this gap is a lack of clarity. Many respondents described uncertainty around what defines leadership readiness, how promotion decisions are made, and who advocates for them behind the scenes.

As Lucia Gonzalez Gato, VPS & Quality Coach explains:
“Promotion is not just about performance – it’s about demonstrated leadership and visibility.”

This reflects a broader pattern seen in research, where women often hold back from applying for roles until they feel fully qualified, while others move forward earlier – even at similar levels of readiness.

Women in leadership meetings: who gets heard and recognized

Meetings play a critical role in leadership visibility and influence. While many respondents said they regularly have airtime, a significant minority described a more uneven experience.

What makes the difference is not capability – but context. When participation feels fair and inclusive, women are more likely to contribute actively, challenge ideas, and influence outcomes. When it does not, participation drops, visibility declines, and leadership potential is less likely to be recognized.

Workplace visibility: why fair access to opportunities matters

Visibility remains one of the most important – and most inconsistent – drivers of career progression.

Just over half of respondents described access to visibility as mostly fair. Others pointed to a more fragmented experience, where high-profile opportunities are often allocated informally, access to decision-makers varies, and recognition depends heavily on manager advocacy.

Renata Jabs, Manufacturing Coordinator, highlights the consequence of this imbalance:
“If you’re not visible to decision-makers, it doesn’t matter how strong your delivery is.”

The implication is clear: performance alone is not enough. Visibility is what connects strong delivery to real opportunity.

Mentorship vs sponsorship: the missing link in women’s career growth

One of the clearest findings in the survey is the gap between mentorship and sponsorship.

Mentorship is relatively common and plays an important role in building confidence, developing skills, and supporting career planning. Sponsorship, however, is far less widespread – and far more decisive. Sponsors don’t just advise; they advocate. They influence promotion decisions, recommend candidates for stretch roles, and actively open doors.

As Juliana Pintarelli Feller, Acting Head of Service & Parts Assortment Engineering, explains: “You can have all the guidance in the world, but without someone speaking your name when you’re not in the room, progress slows down.”

This imbalance helps explain why confidence is so often framed as an individual challenge. In reality, it is shaped by whether systems actively support progression – or leave it to self-advocacy alone.

Barriers to women’s first leadership role

The transition to a first leadership position is often where momentum slows or stalls.

Respondents repeatedly pointed to a combination of limited visibility with decision-makers, unclear or shifting promotion criteria, and evolving expectations of readiness. For some, this was compounded by hesitation to apply unless they met every requirement.

As Vinutha Nagaraj, Senior Service & Parts Assortment Engineer notes: “If you meet 70% of the criteria, that is good enough to apply.”

Others emphasized the importance of making ambition visible early. As Prativa Dhal, Digital Product Area Owner IM, shared: “Make your intentions clear. Your manager can’t help you prepare for the next step if they don’t know you want it.”

Together, these insights underline a critical point: confidence does not develop in isolation. It grows faster in systems that are transparent, predictable, and supportive.

How women build confidence and leadership visibility

Despite systemic challenges, respondents described actively shaping their own visibility and influence.

Rather than relying on personality alone, many approach visibility as a skill – one that can be built through deliberate action. This includes communicating achievements clearly, taking on stretch assignments, building networks across teams, and consistently sharing outcomes and learnings.

Vishnu Priya Anbalagan, Acting GM - HW, SW Integration & Release, captures this mindset: “Visibility is something you can practice.”

This framing is powerful. It shifts confidence from something innate to something developed – through experience, repetition, and feedback.

Career stagnation and growth: what makes the difference

Respondents were candid about what causes careers to stall – and what helps them move forward again.

Moments of stagnation were often linked to unclear feedback, bias in evaluation processes, or decisions made without transparency. In contrast, progress was almost always tied to clarity and advocacy: specific, actionable feedback, access to stretch opportunities, and someone actively supporting their advancement.

As one respondent who wished to remain anonymous summarized:
“The difference was someone saying, ‘She’s ready – and here’s why.’”

AI and career growth: why women see opportunity

One of the most striking findings in the survey is the level of optimism around AI.

Participants described AI as a practical enabler – supporting productivity, reducing cognitive load, and helping structure thinking and decision-making. For many, it functions as a complementary tool rather than a replacement, enhancing how they work rather than redefining it entirely.

Interestingly, those who already felt confident influencing decisions saw the strongest benefits – suggesting that AI amplifies existing capabilities rather than creating them from scratch.

What organizations can do to support women’s leadership

Improving gender balance in leadership requires more than intent – it requires structure.

Organizations that make progress tend to do so by clarifying promotion criteria, formalizing sponsorship, and ensuring visibility opportunities are not left to chance. Equally important is equipping managers to act as active advocates and designing systems that build confidence through transparency rather than expectation.

As Lucia Gonzalez Gato summarizes: “When the system is clear, confidence follows.”

How to build confidence at work: practical steps

Building confidence at work often starts with small, deliberate actions taken consistently overtime. Making your ambitions visible, seeking regular feedback, and building relationships across teams all help create momentum.

Equally important is communicating impact – ensuring that your work is understood, not just delivered. And perhaps most critically, applying for opportunities before feeling fully ready can accelerate growth, rather than delay it.

A quick guide to gaining confidence at work

Practical tips you can use immediately

1. Treat confidence as a practice, not a personality: Confidence grows through action. Speak once more than feels comfortable. Apply before you feel 100% ready. Repetition builds evidence.

2. Make your intentions visible: Tell your manager what you want next – clearly and early. Ambition is easier to support when it’s explicit.

3. Document your impact: Keep a running list of outcomes, not just tasks. Use it in performance conversations and promotion discussions.

4. Reframe self‑advocacy: You’re not promoting yourself – you’re providing data. Frame your contributions in terms of impact on the team or business.

5. Borrow confidence strategically: If you don’t feel confident yet, act on conviction. Confidence often follows action, not the other way around.

6. Build alliances, not just networks: Relationships that turn into advocacy matter more than visibility alone. Invest in people who will speak your name when it counts.

7. Use tools (including AI) to reduce friction: Offload drafting, structuring, and prep work. Save your energy for judgment, leadership, and decision‑making.

8. Remember: readiness is rarely announced: Most people step into leadership before they feel ready. Growth happens in the role, not before it.