How This Leadership Gap Affects Businesses

A Business in Vancouver article stopped me in my tracks.

Only 5% of gaming studios have women in leadership.

Yet women make up 51% of gamers in Canada.

That gap isn't unique to gaming. It shows up in tech, biotech, finance, and across every industry where women drive the market but rarely drive the decisions.

Women make most healthcare decisions for families. They influence the majority of household purchasing. They control a rapidly growing share of global wealth.

And still, the rooms where product direction, funding, AI systems, and strategy get decided are overwhelmingly male.

That's not just a representation gap. It's a growth gap.

When leadership teams reflect only part of their audience, innovation narrows, risk signals get missed, safety becomes reactive, and competitive edge erodes quietly.

You cannot build products for women at scale while excluding them from influence.

Leadership representation is not a diversity initiative. It is a business strategy.

The real issue isn't whether women are ready. It's whether organizations are intentionally building pathways that move high-potential women into decision-making roles.

Because talent alone does not close leadership gaps. Structured development does. Executive sponsorship does. Clear succession planning does. Stretch opportunities with visibility do.

I've spent 20+ years in HR watching this pattern play out inside many companies across various industries. The organizations that close this gap don't wait for it to fix itself. They build for it deliberately.

When women shape strategy, products resonate more deeply, cultures become stronger and more accountable, and performance improves. In tech especially, where the pace of innovation leaves no room for blind spots, this is not optional.

Ready to move beyond conversation and actually develop your female leaders?

I work with leadership teams inside growing companies to build high-impact pathways that move talented women into decision-making roles before the gap becomes a liability.

Let's map out what that could look like for your organization.

Schedule a strategy call today.