Shattering the Glass Ceiling: 10 Proven Strategies for Women to Reach the Top

The "glass ceiling" is a powerful metaphor for the invisible barriers that prevent women from ascending to the highest levels of leadership, despite their qualifications and achievements. And in 2023, that glass ceiling remains stubbornly intact.

Women have made major strides in the workplace in recent decades, now making up nearly half the labor force and the majority of college graduates in the U.S. Yet at the highest echelons of corporate America, women are still shockingly underrepresented:

• Women hold only 8.8% of CEO positions at Fortune 500 companies (up from 8.2% in 2022)[^1]
• Only 26.7% of Fortune 500 board seats are held by women[^1]
• Women make up just 27% of C-suite executives[^2]
• For every 100 men promoted from entry level to manager, only 87 women are promoted[^2]

While progress is happening, it‘s clearly not fast enough. At the current rate of change, it will take decades to reach true gender parity in corporate leadership. So what will it take to finally shatter the glass ceiling for good?

Many complex factors allow the glass ceiling to persist, from overt gender discrimination to unconscious bias to systemic barriers. Research has identified key obstacles holding women back in the workplace:

• Gender stereotypes and bias (both conscious and unconscious)[^3]
• Lack of mentorship and sponsorship[^4]
• Exclusion from informal networks[^5]
• Disproportionate caregiving responsibilities[^4]
• Double standards and penalties for assertiveness[^6]

While organizational and societal changes are needed to truly dismantle these barriers, there are proven strategies that ambitious women can employ to boost their own careers. Drawing from research, expert insights, and real-world examples, here are 10 of the most effective ways for businesswomen to shatter that glass ceiling.

1. Build unshakable confidence

Confidence is the foundation of leadership. Yet for many high-achieving women, self-doubt can be a major obstacle. A 2020 KPMG study found that 75% of women executives report having personally experienced imposter syndrome in their careers.[^7]

Overcoming imposter syndrome is critical to putting yourself forward for coveted opportunities. Start by reframing self-critical thoughts, focusing on your strengths and celebrating your achievements. Remember: you don‘t need to meet 100% of the qualifications to apply for a stretch role.

Build your confidence through small, repeated acts of courage, like speaking up in a meeting or putting yourself forward for a project. The more you face your fears, the more your confidence will grow.

As Reshma Saujani, Founder of Girls Who Code and Marshall Plan for Moms, advises: "Be brave, not perfect." Give yourself permission to take risks without the guarantee of success. Betting on yourself is the ultimate act of career self-confidence.

2. Cultivate a powerful network of mentors and sponsors

When it comes to cracking the glass ceiling, who you know matters as much as what you know. Mentors can provide invaluable guidance and advice for navigating your career, while sponsors actively advocate for you behind closed doors.

A 2019 survey by Coqual found that while 58% of men have access to senior leaders who act as mentors or informal sponsors, only 41% of women do.[^4] This mentorship gap helps explain the leadership gap.

Actively cultivate mentors and sponsors, both female and male. Many organizations have formal mentoring programs, or you can directly approach leaders you admire. Be clear about your career goals and the specific guidance you‘re seeking.

Focus especially on securing sponsors – those with the influence to open doors for you. A study by economist Sylvia Ann Hewlett found that both men and women with sponsors are significantly more likely to ask for stretch assignments and raises than those without sponsors.[^8]

3. Negotiate fiercely for what you deserve

Women face well-documented barriers and biases when it comes to negotiating. A oft-cited statistic is that women negotiate for pay increases and promotions 30% less often than men.[^9] And when women do negotiate, they face more social penalties and pushback.[^6]

But failing to negotiate has major consequences. A woman who fails to negotiate her starting salary upon graduation will lose an average of $407,000 by age 60.[^10] Multiply that by millions of working women, and the losses are staggering.

The antidote is to negotiate early and often in your career. Don‘t wait for opportunities to come to you – be proactive in asking for what you want, whether it‘s a plum assignment, a pay bump, or a seat at the leadership table.

Do your research so you can make a data-based case for what you deserve. Then practice your pitch until you can deliver it with calm conviction. Remember: you‘re not being pushy or selfish by advocating for yourself – you‘re simply claiming your worth.

4. Get comfortable with discomfort

Achieving big career goals means challenging yourself beyond your comfort zone. This could mean going for a promotion you don‘t feel 100% ready for, making a bold request of your boss, or spearheading a high-stakes project.

Men are often more willing to take these kinds of career risks. In a Hewlett-Packard internal study, men applied for a promotion when they felt they met 60% of the qualifications, while women only applied if they felt they met 100%.[^11]

Make a habit of embracing discomfort for the sake of your growth. Start small, like speaking up in a meeting when you would normally hold back. Then build up to taking bigger swings, like throwing your hat in the ring for an opportunity you‘re not sure you‘re ready for.

If you fail, reframe it as a learning experience and keep swinging. As Sarah Friar, CEO of Nextdoor, advises: "Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and know that you‘re going to continue to have failures along the way. That‘s part of the process of getting to where you want to go."[^12]

5. Invest in your own leadership development

Companies are more likely to invest in leadership training for men than women, especially for P&L roles.[^2] But you don‘t have to wait for an invitation to start developing yourself as a leader.

Seek out trainings, workshops, executive education programs, and stretch assignments that will build your strategic, communication, and people-management skills. Focus on competencies critical for executive roles, like strategic thinking, leading high-performing teams, and influencing stakeholders.

Solicit candid feedback from colleagues on your leadership strengths and areas for growth. Work with a coach or find "feedforward" partners who can help you practice new leadership behaviors in lower-risk settings before bringing them to the job.[^13]

Remember that leadership is a muscle you can actively strengthen. As Indra Nooyi, former Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, says: "Leadership is hard to define and good leadership even harder. But if you can get people to follow you to the ends of the earth, you are a great leader."[^14]

6. Speak up and be heard

Your voice is your most powerful leadership tool. Yet women face many barriers to being heard at work, from getting interrupted in meetings to having their ideas ignored or co-opted by male colleagues. This "voice inequality" can negatively impact women‘s career trajectories and access to leadership.[^15]

To make yourself heard, start by banishing minimizing language like "just" and "sorry" from your vocabulary. Make declarative statements rather than phrasing opinions as questions. When you have a dissenting view or new idea, state it firmly and succinctly.

Back up your points with data and examples. If you‘re interrupted, calmly but firmly finish your thought. Amplify other women‘s ideas and push back when their contributions are minimized or overlooked.

Remember, your perspective is valuable and deserves to be heard. As Ursula Burns, former CEO of Xerox, puts it: "Speak up. Your voice is as important as anyone else‘s in the room."[^16]

7. Become a master relationship-builder

Relationships open doors. The most successful leaders have robust professional networks inside and outside their organizations. Building genuine connections with a wide range of people can lead to career opportunities, insider knowledge, influence, and support.

Yet women tend to have narrower, less powerful networks than men. A 2021 LinkedIn study found that women are less likely to seek out new connections, especially with senior leaders.[^17] This limits women‘s access to sponsorship, mentoring, and career opportunities.

Make it a priority to invest in relationships. Attend industry events, join professional associations, and participate in Employee Resource Groups. Offer to help others and share your expertise generously. Follow up with people you meet to deepen the connection.

Look for authentic ways to build relationships with senior leaders. Ask them for advice, offer to help with a project, or invite them to coffee. The more people who know you and are invested in your success, the faster you‘ll rise.

8. Lift as you climb

There‘s a pernicious myth that there‘s limited space for women at the top, so we have to elbow each other out of the way to get ahead. But research shows the opposite is true. When women support each other, they‘re more likely to succeed. A 2019 study found that women with an inner circle of close female contacts are more likely to land executive positions and receive pay raises.[^18]

Make it a priority to champion other women, especially those earlier in their careers. Mentor and sponsor junior women, amplify their ideas, and recommend them for opportunities. Push back on biased comments and policies that hold women back.

When you open doors for other women, you make it easier for more women to walk through them, yourself included. As Madeleine Albright famously said: "There‘s a special place in hell for women who don‘t help other women." Let‘s send that notion to the grave – and bring our sisters with us as we rise.

9. Set boundaries and protect your energy

For many women, family responsibilities and unequal domestic burdens can be major barriers to career advancement, especially in unsupportive workplaces. Women are more likely than men to scale back their careers or leave the workforce for caregiving.[^19]

While organizations must do more to support working mothers, you can advocate for yourself by setting clear boundaries. Resist the pressure to always be available. Negotiate for the flexibility you need. Say no to low-value requests that drain your time and energy.

Taking care of yourself isn‘t selfish – it‘s a down payment on your long-term success and well-being. Guard your time as if it were your most precious resource (because it is). As Arianna Huffington advises: "Ending the delusion that burnout is the price we must pay for success is key for women."[^20]

10. Keep the faith and persist

Let‘s be real: shattering the glass ceiling is hard. Persevering in the face of obstacles and setbacks takes grit, resilience, and an unshakable sense of self-worth. Some days it can feel like you‘re Sisyphus pushing a boulder up an endless hill.

In those moments, remember your "why." Connect to the deeper purpose behind your ambitions. Surround yourself with supportive people who believe in you and your goals. Celebrate your wins, big and small. And don‘t let the inevitable defeats dent your resolve.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg said it best: "Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time." Every ceiling you crack makes it easier for the women who come after you. Your persistence in the face of barriers will create ripples of impact you can‘t even imagine.

So keep the faith and keep pushing forward. With each achievement and act of self-advocacy, you‘re not just advancing your own career – you‘re chipping away at a barrier that has held women back for far too long.

The women who shattered glass ceilings before us did so by reaching back to pull up the women behind them, and reaching forward to clear the way for women ahead of them. This is how we finally break that stubborn glass for good – together.

[^1]: Hinchliffe, E. (2023). The female CEOs on this year‘s Fortune 500. Fortune. [Link] [^2]: Thomas, R. et al. (2022). Women in the Workplace 2022. McKinsey & Company and Lean In. [Link] [^3]: Brands, R. & Fernandez-Mateo, I. (2017). Leaning out: how negative recruitment experiences shape women‘s decisions to compete for executive roles. Administrative Science Quarterly, 62(3), 405-442.
[^4]: Coqual (2020). The sponsor dividend: key findings. [Link] [^5]: Greguletz, E., Diehl, M.-R., Kreutzer, K. (2019). Why women build less effective networks than men: the role of structural exclusion and personal hesitation. Human Relations, 72(7), 1234-1261.
[^6]: Williams, J. C., & Tiedman, R. (2015). The subtle ways gender bias differs for men and women leaders. New Republic. [Link] [^7]: KPMG (2020). Advancing the future of women in business: a KPMG women‘s leadership summit report. [Link] [^8]: Hewlett, S. A. et al. (2019). The sponsor effect: how to be a better leader by investing in others. Harvard Business Review Press.
[^9]: Babcock, L., & Laschever, S. (2009). Women don‘t ask: negotiation and the gender divide. Princeton University Press.
[^10]: Babcock, L., & Laschever, S. (2019). A seat at the table isn‘t enough. women need to run the meeting, too. Quartz at Work. [Link] [^11]: Mohr, T. S. (2014). Why women don‘t apply for jobs unless they‘re 100% qualified. Harvard Business Review. [Link] [^12]: Lebowitz, S. (2021). Next door CEO Sarah Friar explains how to land a promotion — and the No. 1 mistake to avoid. Business Insider. [Link] [^13]: Ibarra, H., & Scoular, A. (2019). The leader as coach. Harvard Business Review, 97(6), 110-119.
[^14]: Ignatius, A. (2020). "Speak truth even if your voice shakes": Indra Nooyi on leading with purpose. HBR IdeaCast. [Link] [^15]: McClean E., Martin S.R., Emich K., Woodruff T (2020). Uncovering the influence of gender on voice inequality. Academy of Management Proceedings.
[^16]: Sellers, P. (2016). Ursula Burns: the first African-American woman to run a Fortune 500 company. Fortune. [Link] [^17]: LinkedIn (2021). Gender insights report 2021: the state of women in the workplace. [Link] [^18]: Yang, Y., Chawla, N. V., & Uzzi, B. (2019). A network‘s gender composition and communication pattern predict women‘s leadership success. PNAS, 116(6), 2033-2038.
[^19]: Hegewisch, A., & Mefferd, E. (2021). The gender wage gap by occupation. Institute for Women‘s Policy Research. [Link] [^20]: Huffington, A., & Chatzky, J. (2019). It‘s time to stop treating women‘s success as one-offs. Fortune. [Link]