The Unique Challenges to Female Leadership and How to Overcome Them

We often hear about the barriers and challenges women face as they carve their way and rise to top positions. Gatekeeping, pay inequities, prejudice, and gender-based harassment are still firm fixtures in the glass ceiling. And even when women break through, their journey doesn’t necessarily get easier.

Female leaders often encounter higher performance expectations, are judged more harshly on their appearance and communication styles, and are frequently excluded from informal networks where influence is built. Yet the same resilience that drives women to leadership roles can also equip them to overcome these obstacles.

Here are some of the most common female leadership challenges, along with strategies for addressing and navigating them:

Misogyny

Over the past decade, women have made important gains at every level of the corporate pipeline—and especially in senior leadership. Yet despite advances in gender equity, increased representation in executive roles, and growing public awareness of bias, misogyny remains a deeply rooted barrier for women in top positions.

As Iman Cassells Alleyne, CEO and founder of Kind Academy Microschools, notes: “There’s still an underlying issue of sexism in corporate environments, even if it isn’t always overt. Many male-dominated leadership teams may struggle to accept or fully support women in top executive roles.”

Misogyny often shows up in subtle yet damaging ways—like inappropriate remarks or unfair, irrelevant critiques. Take former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, for instance. In her early days as a leader, she was frequently judged not for her policies, but for her hairstyle, accent, and wardrobe. This kind of misplaced focus chips away at a woman’s authority, stalls her career progression, and shifts the conversation away from what truly matters—her leadership.

Internalised Gender Bias

No woman is an island—gender stereotypes passed down through generations and reinforced by societal norms continue to influence women, even when they are consciously aware of them. As a result, female leaders often feel a persistent need to prove themselves within a system shaped by patriarchal expectations.

As an example, when former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris faced public criticism for not having biological children, she chose to speak openly about her role as a stepmother—an explanation that a male politician in her position would likely never be expected to offer.

Women in leadership often feel like they’re walking a tightrope. If they speak too forcefully, they risk being called aggressive; if they’re too gentle, they may be seen as weak. This ongoing pressure makes it difficult for women to fully develop and express their authentic leadership style.

The Maternal Wall

Pregnancy lasts only 40 weeks, yet it takes women out of the workplace for much longer, and the potential career setbacks can extend well past maternity leave.

In 2023, Lisa Conn, CEO of the tech startup Gatheround, shared a photo of herself breastfeeding her 12-week-old baby during a remote team meeting. Her intention was to highlight the realities of working motherhood, but the image quickly went viral, sparking widespread debate about corporate attitudes toward motherhood and the visibility of parenting responsibilities in professional settings.

In a world of gender parity, a picture of a CEO nursing her infant at a meeting shouldn’t raise more eyebrows than one of a suited man dropping a child at the school gate on his way to the office.

This moment captured not only the pressures many working mothers face but also the broader cultural expectations still placed on women. And while conversations around work-life balance and parental responsibilities are becoming more prevalent, women today are still expected to be more dedicated to the domestic sphere than their male counterparts, regardless of their demanding job roles. This enduring imbalance doesn’t just affect individual careers—it shapes the culture of leadership itself, reinforcing outdated norms unless workplaces actively push for change.

Pattern Matching

Julia Boorstin, author of When Women Lead, points out that because there are still relatively few female CEOs, women in top roles often don’t match the familiar image of leadership that many investors and board members are used to. As a result, they’re viewed as riskier choices—not because of their qualifications, but because they don’t “fit the mold”. This perception reinforces a self-fulfilling cycle: fewer women get the opportunity to lead, so the stereotype persists.

Leadership experts also highlight a deeper, systemic issue: the disconnect between traditional notions of femininity and the traits society tends to associate with strong leadership—traits still commonly seen as masculine. This mismatch can make it harder for women to be recognised and accepted as leaders, no matter how capable they are.

Luckily, there are strategies for overcoming obstacles to female leadership. These are:

Advocate for Female Leadership

When women uplift each other—and when allies step up to do the same—it doesn’t just advance individual careers. It transforms workplace culture and drives collective success. Time and again, studies show that companies with diverse leadership teams are more innovative, profitable, and resilient. But normalising female leadership won’t happen by accident, it needs action from everyone.

Whether you’re in the C-suite, a team lead, or just getting started in your career, you can play a role. Support women through mentorship, speak up when you see bias, and push for inclusive hiring and promotion practices. Amplify women’s voices in meetings, advocate for equitable pay, and call attention to leadership potential that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Build Strong Networks

Connection is power, and for women in leadership, that power multiplies through community. From grassroots circles to global mentoring platforms, strong networks help women navigate challenges, share opportunities, and amplify one another’s voices.

There’s no shortage of ways to plug in. Professional associations, women’s leadership councils, industry-specific alliances, and peer mentorship programmes all offer space to learn and grow. Online forums, LinkedIn groups, leadership retreats, and regional meetups create room for collaboration, insight-sharing, and support.

When women connect with others who truly understand the unique demands of leadership, they do much more than just expand their networks—they build collective strength.

Call Out Inequality

Author Roxane Gay encourages women to be “difficult” in the best way—point out microaggressions, insist on respectful discourse, ensure they are credited and rewarded for their achievements, and be vocal about discriminatory corporate culture. By pushing back in this way, they model courage and integrity and set the standard for what is acceptable in the workplace.

Redefine Parental Roles

As long as male CEOs are not asked in interviews how they balance the demands of their career with childrearing, the work is not done. Workplace culture must evolve to support caregiving across genders. Offering equal parental leave, on-site childcare, and flexible schedules for all parents does more than just help women—it is an integral part of sustainable work culture in the 21st century.

Role Models and Role Modeling

Today’s female leaders are treading in the footsteps of great women who paved the way—often against considerable odds. Whether it’s Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who reshaped gender equality law from the U.S. Supreme Court bench, Malala Yousafzai, who has become a global symbol of courage and advocacy for girls’ education, or Jacinda Ardern, who demonstrated empathetic and decisive leadership as Prime Minister of New Zealand—these women have expanded the scope of what leadership can look like.

It’s essential that their stories are not only told but made visible across generations and sectors, so current and aspiring leaders can see the range of possibilities open to them. Role models offer more than inspiration—they offer blueprints, challenge stereotypes, and help normalise women in positions of power.

That includes recognising your own influence: if you are a female leader, you may already be a role model to someone. Embracing that responsibility can help shape more inclusive, equitable leadership environments for the future.

Developing a Personal Leadership Style

Empathy, gratitude, and strong interpersonal awareness are often celebrated as strengths of female leadership—and many women naturally lead this way. However, women shouldn’t feel confined to these traits or pressured to lead in a way that fits a certain gendered mold. The goal isn’t to lead “like a woman” or “like a man,” but to lead in a way that is authentic and aligned with one’s own strengths and values. True leadership comes from embracing the full range of your capabilities and showing up as your best, most genuine self.

When women lead in ways that are true to who they are, they not only succeed on their own terms—they also expand the definition of leadership and inspire future women leaders to do the same.

This Moment Matters

There has never been a better time for female leadership. From 1995 to 2025, the number of women CEOs in Fortune 500 companies has climbed from zero to over 10%. Progress is happening, but overcoming female leadership obstacles will require continued effort, cultural change, and solidarity. The more women lead—the more women will lead.