Why Women Are Leaving Leadership Roles In America's Corporate Work Force?

Women in the United States are going far and beyond to show their mettle as leaders across fields. With Kamala Harris becoming the first woman Vice President in America and several female leaders holding the top positions in industries including corporate and science, it won't be wrong to say that we're almost getting there, when it comes to equality in business. While the battle has been far from easy so far, the current reports show existing cracks that are making women leaders demotivated. Eventually forcing to leave their roles in the corporate world of the United States.

A recent study of women in the workplace in corporate America reveals some hard-hitting facts about the situation female leaders are dealing with and the events that are leading them to quit.

Suggested reading: Why Are Women Made To Feel They Are Not Part Of The CEO Club?

American Women In Leadership Are Quiting

A study conducted around the entire women workforce in corporate America has surfaced some figures and brutal truths about the situation women leaders find themselves in while going up the ladder of success. The report was a result of collecting data from over three hundred organisations across the United States featuring over twelve million employees combined.

Four major things the study revealed

1. Approximately 10.5 per cent of women in or above senior leadership positions left their respective firms in the year 2021. The globally renowned consulting firm McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org found in their joint exclusive study that- the highest rate of voluntary departures by female leaders since 2017. The survey states that for every female person, who got promoted at a directorial level in 2021, two women directors quit their positions at their respective firms.

2. The report highlighted that a man is far more likely to be offered a senior leadership or managerial level position than a woman. It is highly likely that men in leadership positions tend to stick to their position, instead of quiting

3. The research clearly states that the toxic work culture, under-representation, recognition, and being overworked are few factors that are influencing women leaders to give up their leadership positions. 51-year-old Anne Witherspoon shared her story during the research revealing that the 'deteriorating work culture was one of the reasons she left her executive position in 2021. Serving a regional bank forever a decade, Witherspoon felt undervalued after the organisation took a department she had built right from scratch and offered it to another colleague. Post leaving her workplace, Witherspoon acquired the position of COO at a wealth management organisation, where she feels valued.

"The work of women leaders does not really end at the workplace. They are likely to be more responsible and active contributors in their household chores and family care than men are, which eventually does lead to burnout."

4. Burnout is real, and women leaders in corporate America have been facing it for years now. Adding to that is the non-flexible culture, sexism and barriers to progress over gender. Gradually, women leaders give up the battle with world as it is drains their health and peace of mind at the end of the day. CEO of LeanIn.Org Rachel Thomas pointed out that women leaders are constantly made aware of challenging it will be to achieve success at their firms, which is ironic because although women are as ambitious, men do not get this preconceived advice from before.

The study findings are shocking, especially when women have been climbing the corporate ladder with every ounce of their grit and hard work.  However, the factors that push them further below are purely gender-biased and stem from patriarchal norms and a lack of understanding of diversity. Women are betting on themselves but the systems and cultures will have to support them if we want to achieve workplace equality.