ATLANTA, Feb. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Pathbuilders ‘Table Stakes’ 2024 Annual Report has revealed mounting career uncertainty among high-potential women. Transactional relationships with leaders has led to a 10-year low in proactive career planning and questioning of the sacrifices required for executive roles. This shift spans industries, functions, geographies, and organizations of all sizes, suggesting a broader transformation in how women leaders view their advancement opportunities and long-term career prospects.
Data and insights show this reshaping of professional ambitions particularly among female directors and VPs, those in line for the C-suite. While 70% of mid-level women seek increased responsibility, only 20% specifically cite interest in C-suite roles. This signals a shift in aspirations driven by today’s challenging business environment.
“Through our work with high performers, we see trends that predict the next decade of women’s roles in leadership,” said Helene Lollis, CEO of Pathbuilders. “Our 2024 interviews saw dedicated people leaders doing the heavy lifting in their organizations. They’re resourceful and accustomed to finding what they need when needed, but they’re looking at the road ahead and wondering if there’s a different way to ready themselves for senior leadership.”
Findings also show manager-level leaders operating with minimal organizational support; 57% are on their own learning to manage, and 79% are challenged with delegation and prioritization. One-on-one time with their leaders is focused overwhelmingly on task management rather than strategies for professional growth. This finding highlights the urgent need for organizations to reimagine talent development strategies.
Every organization has its unique reality, but in Pathbuilders’ work across a broad spectrum of organizations, common trends emerge. This year these four themes stand out and create a backdrop for business as a whole and our findings regarding key female talent:
- Constant organizational change that once felt disruptive is now seen as business as usual;
- Adoption of AI is impacting job descriptions and traditional development opportunities, yet few people leaders are actively leveraging it;
- Dialogue with leaders is over-indexed on short-term objectives, with little conversation about future direction and strategic priorities;
- Mid-level women have embraced flexible and more balanced lifestyles and are rethinking their aspirations and the tradeoffs of pressure-filled careers.
“These themes combine to create unprecedented challenges for organizations seeking to develop and retain high-potential women leaders,” continued Lollis. “If there is one key takeaway from our body of data, it would be the opportunity for forward-thinking organizations to prioritize leaders connecting personally with their people. High potentials will thrive if they’re stimulated with tailored feedback, growth, and opportunities.”
Along with data-rich insights based on interviews and engagement with hundreds of high-potential female managers and mid-level leaders through formal mentoring programs, the Table Stakes Report provides actionable solutions for C-suite executives to address these shared realities and take action to retain and advance great female leaders.
To access the full report, please click here.
About Table Stakes Report
The insights in Pathbuilders’ 2024 Annual Report are drawn from in-depth interviews with more than 300 high-potential, high-performing women from more than 50 companies in 31 U.S. states, the UK, and Canada. The study covers various industries, functions, and company sizes. Participants include women in mid-level leadership positions (Directors and VPs), managers, and those aspiring to management roles. The sample comprises 49% leaders in Fortune 500 organizations or private/foreign equivalents, 16% in Fortune 1000 or private/foreign equivalents, and women from various public and private high-growth companies and government agencies. The findings were benchmarked against comparable data from more than 5,000 interviews from previous years. For more information, please visit Table Stakes Report website.
About Pathbuilders
Pathbuilders is a trusted partner in transforming top performers into high-impact leaders. With over 30 years of experience, we are dedicated to advancing women in leadership and creating a future where ready and capable women influence every table where decisions are made, enabling resilient businesses to deliver exceptional results. Our cross-company mentoring programs and custom solutions are designed to cultivate leaders who move companies forward and empower organizations to effect meaningful change.
Since 1995, Pathbuilders has successfully collaborated with thousands of professionals from over 500 client organizations, including the Fortune 500 companies of today and tomorrow. For more information, please visit our website at pathbuilders.com or on LinkedIn.
