The Three Invisible Systems That Grow Women Leaders

Women have demonstrated their leadership capability across sectors and markets. Still, advancement into senior roles remains inconsistent. What is standing in the way? 

In 2026, the UN’s International Women’s Day theme is “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls”. It offers a clear reminder that progress does not happen through symbolism. It happens through systems. If we break it down, the UN’s 2026 mantra demonstrates that rights exist on paper, justice exists in structures, and action exists in behavior. At the same time, many workplaces are embracing the complementary International Women’s Day philosophy of “Give to Gain,” which holds that when access to opportunities is equal and deliberate, the returns are collective, shaping families, institutions, and the societies we all share. 

Annelize van Rensburg, Global Chair of Signium and Director of Executive Search at Signium in Johannesburg, shares,

“Organizations may frame their movements differently, but at their heart, they speak to the same principles. It shows that, universally, even when separated by borders, cultures, and beliefs, people know what is right. Applied together, these themes could form a coherent leadership challenge: Justice requires systems, action requires leadership-led behavior, and what leaders choose to give determines what organizations ultimately gain.” 

The advancement of women into senior leadership is rarely constrained by capability. More often, it’s shaped by invisible systems: who is sponsored, who is trusted, and how early leadership pathways are designed. As these systems typically exist covertly, they tend to develop organically, the way a company culture would – quietly and cumulatively.  

Umair Safdar, Managing Partner at Signium in Dusseldorf, comments:

“Perceiving International Women’s Day through a narrow lens reinforces that the work of a woman should only be celebrated on one day. If organizations want to build the next generation of women leaders, these invisible systems can’t be left to chance, and they can’t be glossed over once a year.” 

Justice falters early: The first gate of leadership 

Conversations about gender equity often focus on executive representation. Yet research shows that the most consequential break in the pipeline happens much earlier.  

McKinsey’s 2024 Women in the Workplace report describes the “broken rung.” The report details that for every 100 men promoted to manager, only 81 women receive the same promotion. That initial disparity compounds at every subsequent level, and by the time succession discussions reach senior leadership, the imbalance is already deeply embedded and compounded from earlier promotion decisions. 

More recent research uncovers a new perspective on the problem. McKinsey’s 2025 Women in the Workplace report notes a widening ambition gap, with fewer women expressing interest in advancement compared to men. The report points to various factors that shape how attainable leadership roles feel in practice for women:  

• Lower levels of perceived career support 

• Uneven access to sponsorship 

• Sustained caregiving pressures 

• Higher burnout rates among women 

When early promotions are less accessible, advocacy is uneven, and structural pressures remain high, many women begin to question whether advancement is realistically attainable.  

From a C-suite perspective, this is as much about leadership continuity as it is about fairness. When fewer women move through the first promotion gate, the future leadership bench becomes thinner. Organizations have fewer prepared candidates to choose from, and succession planning becomes constrained. As a result, later efforts to improve representation become reactive and urgent rather than deliberate and strategic. 

“Justice and equality inside organizations can’t live in values statements alone,” says van Rensburg. “It must be designed and built into how early promotions, opportunities, and advocacy are implemented. They must be upheld by action. ” 

Safdar adds: “So many organizations say they need more female executives. I advise them to look at their talent pool. Are they cultivating talent internally, or are there systemic problems blocking women’s progression? Are there good maternity programs or family-oriented working arrangements? Some organizations simply don’t want to address these matters, and that’s the problem right there.”  

Invisible system #1: Sponsorship – being a steward of fair opportunity 

Inside organizations, opportunity is seldom distributed evenly. Although it’s sometimes allocated formally through a process, it often happens informally through simple influence. Van Rensburg elaborates: “Stretch roles, high-visibility projects, succession conversations, and access to senior leaders rarely happen by accident. Someone puts a name forward. Someone opens a door. That’s sponsorship at work.” 

 Sponsors influence: 

• Who is considered for bigger roles 

• Who is invited into strategic conversations 

• Who is trusted with complex assignments 

• Who is backed when a stretch role becomes uncomfortable 

• Who is spoken about with confidence in succession meetings 

When sponsorship is informal and unexamined, it often follows familiarity. Leaders, like all people, tend to advocate for those they know well, who feel similar, or whose career paths resemble their own. In organizations where senior leadership has historically been male, informal sponsorship can unintentionally replicate that pattern. 

This is rarely deliberate, but over time, high-performing women may find themselves well-mentored and well-regarded, yet consistently overlooked for assignments that signal readiness for senior leadership. Making sponsorship deliberate ensures that opportunity doesn’t default to familiarity.  

“This is where concepts like ‘Give to Gain’ become practical,” says Safdar. “Giving sponsorship is not an act of kindness. It’s a leadership decision to use influence consciously, rather than accidentally.”  

What does sponsorship look like in practice?  

One close-to-home example of using influence strategically is the story of a capable professional at Signium Africa who had limited exposure to executive-level dialogue. Instead of enrolling her in another development program, the organization did something simpler: they created an opportunity for her to practise leadership in real time. 

Signium leaders drew on their networks to identify a suitable intern who could work under her supervision. This gave her meaningful responsibility – managing, guiding, and making decisions – while still supported by the leaders who had sponsored her. The result was hands-on leadership experience that enabled her to put her theoretical knowledge into practice. 

“The idea behind sponsorship is to use your networks creatively,” says van Rensburg. “This also speaks to helping more than one person at a time – both women benefited significantly from the arrangement.”  

Invisible system #2: Trust 

Trust is rarely discussed explicitly in organizations, yet it’s felt by all through various operational signals: 

• Who receives decision-making autonomy 

• Who is granted latitude during learning curves 

• Who is backed publicly when ambiguity increases 

• Who receives the benefit of the doubt under scrutiny 

A 2023 study on competence-questioning in the workplace found that women are more likely to have their expertise doubted or held to shifting standards, even when their performance is equal to that of their peers. Researchers note that gender stereotypes can lead to repeated questioning of women’s competence, a pattern sometimes described as “prove-it-again” bias.  

“In practice, justice also encompasses how consistently trust is granted,” says van Rensburg. “Whether obvious or subtle, differences in trust often shape who progresses into leadership roles. People need space to learn how to hold their own in unfamiliar executive environments. Women can only develop visibility and confidence through exposure if leaders create room for growth – and that requires trust.” 

Invisible system #3: Context and the conditions for participation 

The UN’s emphasis on “for ALL women and girls” is a reminder that advancement doesn’t begin at the executive level. Before leadership pathways can function fairly, participation must be possible in the first place. 

Van Rensburg emphasizes that context matters: “The realities facing women in South Africa may differ significantly from those in Germany or other markets. Caregiving responsibilities, economic volatility, educational access, and social infrastructure all influence who can participate fully in professional life and how consistently they can do so.” 

In this light, flexibility is more than a convenience or a perk. It’s a participation infrastructure. When leaders design systems without considering context, they unintentionally offer an advantage to those whose personal circumstances align with traditional career models. If leaders want a broader starting line, they must design flexible systems that reflect the realities that all people are navigating, including women. 

Context also shapes early exposure. In some environments, young women may have fewer opportunities to observe executive behavior, engage in strategic dialogue, or develop confidence in formal settings. These differences compound over time. Safdar comments: “At this level, justice also means recognizing that equal opportunity doesn’t always mean identical conditions. Leaders may need to consider whether their systems make allowances for different circumstances.” 

Five ways to fix the broken rung 

Women enter organizations in strong numbers, perform, and many aspire to lead. When their progression stalls, it’s rarely because they lack ability. Rather, it’s because opportunity flows through systems that were not deliberately designed for fairness. 

For boards and executive teams, symbolic endorsement isn’t enough. Safdar elaborates, saying, “We need to live as though every day is International Women’s Day. People who think these principles are confined to one day are part of the problem, because no systemic problem can be solved in a single day. This is not a sentimental issue. It’s a structural correction.” 

Here are practical actions leaders can take. 

1. Make sponsorship a leadership obligation – not a favor 

Senior leaders can use their influence to sponsor at least one high-potential woman outside their immediate reporting line and make sponsorship visible through tangible actions. These include opening doors to key roles, creating exposure in important meetings, and advocating in succession discussions.  

Boards and executive teams should review succession slates with a simple question in mind: Who actively advocated for this candidate? Rotating sponsorship responsibilities among leaders also helps ensure that opportunities do not default to informal networks or familiar circles. 

2. Audit the first promotion ruthlessly 

The “broken rung” rarely repairs itself. Boards should take a close look at how the first promotion to manager is decided. Are the criteria clear and applied consistently? Who gets nominated, and who has to put themselves forward? Are performance reviews aligned across teams, or do standards vary? Is revenue-linked or high-visibility work distributed fairly?  

If women are consistently rated highly but promoted less often, the issue is more likely a matter of process than one of readiness.  

3. Make trust visible 

Leaders can make trust visible by clearly defining decision rights in larger assignments, publicly standing behind emerging leaders when outcomes are imperfect, and stepping in when scrutiny becomes disproportionate. For women, who may already face higher scrutiny in some environments, uneven trust influences their advancement over time. 

4. Design exposure 

If exposure happens by chance rather than by design, progression will be uneven. Organizations can support emerging women by creating structured opportunities to present to senior leaders, assigning cross-functional projects that increase visibility, and providing rehearsal space before high-stakes meetings.  

5. Examine the invisible work 

Not all high-performing employees are working on high-visibility assignments. Leaders should periodically review those who handle internal coordination tasks, lead revenue-generating or client-facing initiatives, and are regularly asked to take notes, organize events, or manage internal processes.  

This behind-the-scenes work keeps organizations running, but it rarely accelerates careers. When these tasks are unevenly distributed, advancement becomes uneven as well. 

Beyond aspiration: ‘Give to Gain’ drives change 

Safdar emphasizes the business case for broader representation: “Think about mothers, and how they just get stuff done. Women tend to fix problems with the long term in mind, because they’re adept at uncovering the root cause and addressing it. They also have a natural affinity for connecting with their teams because they practice empathy and communicate more effectively. We must be proactive about getting more women into leadership roles. It’s just good business sense.”  

Van Rensburg adds to the conversation:

“We have to encourage women to keep trying, keep advocating. If you don’t have bleeding knuckles, you haven’t tried hard enough. Be persistent and have staying power. When you’re given an opportunity, fight for it. Also, remember where you came from, so you can pay it forward when you’re the one with influence.” 

International Women’s Day themes such as “Rights. Justice. Action.” and “Give to Gain” remind leaders that fairness must move beyond aspiration. It must be embedded in structure and action to create lasting change.