Women are leading with passion and purpose more than ever. | Unsplash photo
What you probably already know: In a survey with the provocative headline “Calling BS on the myth of women’s fading ambition,” Chief — a private membership network and community aimed at senior women and non-binary leaders — says that women aren’t stepping back from leadership but are rather designing it on their own terms. “It’s not fading,” the report notes. “It’s on fire.” Chief, founded in 2019, partnered with The Harris Poll to study the state of women’s ambition and surveyed more than 1,000 C-suite leaders. Eighty-six percent of senior women leaders say they’re more ambitious now than they were five years ago.
Why it matters: Now is a time of social, political and cultural pushback against women. Just yesterday, Formidable ran a story on a controversial New York Times article that accused women of “ruining the workplace,” painting gender equality as divisive and anti-traditional. Women stepping into leadership is about preserving progress to protect hard-won gains and shaping the future. Research shows that women leaders are increasingly redefining what leadership means, often emphasizing collaboration as a key component of corporate success. Successful women also serve as role models for the next generation at a time when social messages may discourage women or girls. “In an unpredictable economy,” the survey notes, “82% of women say traditional progression feels less reliable, and they’re using that uncertainty to fuel reinvention, not fear.”
What it means: Despite those challenges, 61% of senior women leaders believe they’re at their peak of power now or will be within five years. Only a tiny percentage think they haven’t made bold career moves, and 83% say they’ve navigated major career transitions, most by choice. The survey notes that women are taking more chances than they once did. “I feel more emboldened to create my own career path than ever before,” one said. Another noted the constant need for change: “The playbook I was handed 20 years ago is completely outdated.” Almost three in four say they’re “not afraid” of straying from traditional career tracks, and about the same percentage are comfortable breaking from corporate or title identity, suggesting an entrepreneurial willingness to take risks.
What happens next: Networking and mentorship are especially critical. Ninety-four percent agree that “being around other ambitious women leaders fuels my own ambition.” One respondent noted that “I’d rather invest in a community of women than navigate today’s world in isolation.” Growth, impact and values are particularly strong motivators. Chief notes that, “This hierarchy reveals that progress and purpose now sit at the center of women’s ambition. The old playbook that told us to climb, conform and stay put has been replaced by a mindset of evolution and expansion.”
