There’s a growing “ambition gap” between women and men about wanting promotions: the latest Women in the Workplace data shows about 80% of women want to be promoted versus 86% of men, with larger gaps at entry and senior levels. But the gap isn’t driven by desire — it’s driven by unequal supports.
What the data shows
– Commitment to doing good work is similar across genders, but women report less interest in moving up.
– When women receive the same career supports as men, the ambition gap disappears. That points to a “support gap” rather than an inherent lack of ambition.
Key missing supports
– Sponsorship and advocacy: women are less likely to have senior sponsors who actively put them up for promotion, recommend them for opportunities, and defend them in promotion conversations.
– Access to stretch assignments and promotion pipelines: projects and roles that demonstrate readiness for the next level are awarded unevenly.
– Flexible and remote work: when companies scale back flexible options, women — who still carry disproportionate caregiving and household responsibilities — lose a critical support.
– Tailored career development: women face specific barriers (e.g., bias in evaluations, fewer high-visibility assignments) that require targeted programs and training.
– Organizational commitment: fewer companies are prioritizing women’s advancement now; some are rolling back programs that supported women’s progress.
How supports influence ambition
– Sponsorship and visible advocacy change how women see the path forward: being nominated, recommended, and publicly endorsed increases confidence and signals a real path to advancement.
– Stretch assignments and being considered for promotion validate capability; lacking those opportunities, people rationally stop pursuing advancement.
– Flexibility reduces the tradeoff between career growth and family obligations; without it, many highly capable women opt out of promotion tracks.
What companies should do (practical actions)
– Recommit to women’s advancement: set measurable goals and restore programs that were paused.
– Build and track sponsorship: require managers to nominate and sponsor high-potential women, and measure sponsorship rates by gender.
– Assign stretch work equitably: audit who gets high-visibility projects and rotate opportunities to build pipelines.
– Preserve and expand flexible work: maintain remote and flexible options that help retain and enable women.
– Offer targeted development: training, mentoring, and sponsorship programs designed for women’s needs, including negotiation and executive presence.
– Hold leaders accountable: make advancement metrics part of manager performance reviews and compensation.
What individuals and allies can do
– Ask for sponsorship: request a sponsor (not just a mentor) who will advocate for promotion and opportunities.
– Seek stretch assignments: volunteer for high-visibility projects and clarify the career benefit.
– Build networks: sponsors and allies often come through sustained relationships inside and outside the organization.
– Allies: managers should actively advocate, nominate, and open doors; peers should recommend women for roles and credit their work publicly.
Consequences of inaction
– Without action, recent gains in women’s representation and leadership risk reversal. Declining commitment and the removal of supports lead to fewer promotions, lost talent, and weaker leadership diversity.
Bottom line
The “ambition gap” is largely a symptom of a support gap: equalizing sponsorship, promotions, stretch assignments, flexible work, and tailored development eliminates the difference in stated ambition. Companies that recommit to concrete supports — and measure outcomes — can close the gap and preserve the progress women have made in the workplace.
