On International Women's Day: Why are there still so few women in management positions?

Studies by Hogan Assessment, an international leader in workplace personality assessment and leadership consulting, show that men and women in leadership positions have similar characteristics that contribute to effective leadership. This can be seen as clear evidence that long-held ideas about the best leader are outdated.

«When we analyze decades of personality and performance data, we don't see significant differences between men and women in terms of what really makes a successful leader,» says Allison Howell, CEO of Hogan Assessments. «What we do see, however, is that many organizations are still relying on outdated notions of potential that are not supported by facts.»

This discrepancy between perception and facts is reflected even more clearly in the global management pipelines: according to the Global Gender Gap Report 2024 of the World Economic Forum, women hold only 32.2 % of the top management roles worldwide, although in most regions they have almost reached the same level of education. In Switzerland, too, the proportion of women in management positions is stagnating, as the latest schillingreport shows.

Leadership potential criteria do not correspond to the facts

In practice, leadership potential is often associated with visible signs of self-confidence, dominance or self-expression. Studies by Hogan suggest that these signals are often overvalued, while equally significant leadership traits such as judgment, self-regulation, learning ability and motivational alignment receive less attention, even though they are strong signs of long-term effectiveness.

For many women, the challenge therefore lies less in readiness than in access. Early promotion and development decisions are often influenced by informal judgments that covertly determine who is encouraged, supported and promoted for years - long before leadership roles actually appear on the horizon.

This early phase is well documented: The report «Women in the Workplace» by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org from 2023 states that for every 100 men promoted to manager, just 87 women climb a «broken rung» on the career ladder, exacerbating inequality at each subsequent level.

The myth of declining ambition

Another common explanation for the underrepresentation of women in corporate management is a perceived «ambition gap». Hogan's data speaks a different language: motivation and ambition remain equally present throughout a woman's career, but are significantly influenced by the entrepreneurial context.

«Women are no less ambitious than men,» explains Howell. «What is changing, however, is how people respond to environments where the opportunities for progression are unclear or unstable. Taking a step back is often a strategic decision, not a sign of lack of aspiration.»

In fact, ambition remains high, even if representation declines: studies consistently show that the career goals of women and men are comparable at the beginning of their careers. However, representation decreases with each successive management level - and this is due to structural barriers and not a lack of motivation. (Source: McKinsey & Company & LeanIn.Org, Women in the Workplace 2023)

In such an environment, women make well-considered decisions about when - and whether - to take the next step in their careers, and respond rationally to systems that do not always reward their leadership style appropriately.

Where the hurdles actually arise

Hogan's study on the myth of women in management shows that differences between men and women largely disappear at the top management level. Nevertheless, women remain underrepresented at board level because the most significant hurdles arise early in a career, during recruitment, promotions over the course of a career and support decisions, when subjective judgments are often more important than objective evaluation.

«Much of this inequality in leadership occurs long before leadership roles are on the table,» says Howell. «These early stages covertly determine who is visible, supported and gets access to career-enhancing opportunities.»

This cumulative effect is also evident at the highest levels of management in Europe: according to the European Institute for Gender Equality (2024), women occupy 34 % of the top management positions in the EU, but only 8 % of CEO positions in the largest listed companies.

A more objective path to the future

For Hogan, International Women's Day on March 8, 2026 is not just about prescribing simple solutions to a problem, but about encouraging reflection - on a corporate and personal level. As a female leader in an international company, Howell emphasizes the importance of challenging persistent assumptions about leadership and encouraging women to consciously understand and leverage their own strengths.

The argument for this is obvious: according to the 2023 McKinsey study, «Diversity Matters Even More», companies that lead in terms of gender diversity in leadership teams are 39 % more likely to achieve better financial results than companies that lag behind in this area.

«As women, we are still too often measured by standards that were never created for us,» says Howell. «Science proves that these distinctions don't reflect reality. Knowing how I lead, what motivates me and what I am most effective at can be an important source of strength - even if the mills of the system grind slowly.»

You don't have to fit into a certain mold when managing a company, she adds. «You have to remain visible, show continuous commitment and demonstrate an authentic leadership style that reflects your own personality - even if the recognition for this comes later than it should.»

Source: Hogan Assessments