Understanding the Broken Rung Problem in Career Advancement

Ladies, we need to talk about the REAL glass ceiling. It's not at the C-suite level. 👉🏾 It's at the very first promotion to manager. According to McKinsey's 2024 Women in the Workplace report, for every 100 men promoted to manager, only 81 women make that same leap. This "broken rung" on the career ladder hasn't improved in 20 YEARS. And for women of color? The numbers are even worse. This isn't just a statistic. This is why you're: Working twice as hard Getting half the recognition Watching less qualified men zoom past you Questioning if you're the problem You're NOT the problem. The system IS. But here's the truth: knowing the system is broken doesn't fix your career. So what do you do? 💡Document EVERYTHING Track your wins, your impact, and the value you bring. Numbers speak louder than words. 💡Build your coalition Find allies who will advocate for you when you're not in the room. 💡Create your own ladder If the traditional path is blocked, forge a new one. Lateral moves, special projects, and visibility opportunities. 💡Know when to walk Some companies will never value you properly. Recognize when it's time to take your talents elsewhere. The broken rung won't fix itself. But YOU can climb over it. 👉🏾 Which action can you do better? Finding allies or document your accomplishments.

The just-released 2023 Lean In/ McKinsey annual Women in the Workplace Report clearly outlines the cumulative impact of the "broken rung" on the leadership ladder. Beginning with promotion to a first-level management position, where women are promoted less often than men, fewer and fewer women are promoted at every subsequent level. From this year's report: "For every 100 men promoted from entry-level to manager, 87 women are promoted. This gap is trending in the wrong direction for women of color: this year, 73 women of color were promoted to manager for every 100 men, down from 82 women of color last year. As a result of this “broken rung,” women fall behind and can never catch up with men." Addressing inequitable promotions that break the first rung of the leadership ladder for women leaders is an urgent priority. Learn more about the broken run and read the full 2023 Report at: leanin.org/wiw #WomenAtWork #WomenLeaders #GenderEquality #WomensLeadership [ID: A graphic showing a woman trapped under a glass ceiling labeled "Myth: The Biggest Barrier to Senior Leadership is the Glass Ceiling" side-by-side with a graphic showing a woman unable to climb the leadership ladder because the first rung- first step to manager- is broken labeled "Reality: The Broken Rung Is the Biggest Obstacle Women Face." -- As always, thoughts and views are my own and do not represent those of my current employer.

👩🏽🔬 It’s not a glass ceiling if you never make it off the ground. Fix the broken rung already. Let’s talk about real progress and the real obstacles for women in the workplace, especially in STEM and leadership. We’ve made meaningful strides, but the most significant barriers are happening far earlier than most people realize. 🔹 Progress Worth Celebrating: ↳29% of C-suite roles are now held by women—up from 17% in 2015. ↳VP roles climbed from 27% to 34% over the last decade. But wait... ⚠️ At the manager level, a critical career stepping stone, growth has barely moved from 37% in 2015 to just 39% in 2024. Why does this matter? Because of what McKinsey calls: 🔧 The “Broken Rung” ↳The first promotion from entry-level to manager is where women get stuck. ↳This broken rung is why we’re underrepresented in every level that follows. 📉 Data Snapshot: ↳For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 87 women are. ↳For women of color, it drops to 73 per 100 men. This isn’t just a pipeline issue—it’s a promotion issue. And it’s compounding over time, shrinking the pool of future women leaders before it grows. 🧠 Why It Matters: ↳If we don’t fix this first step, we will not fix leadership representation, no matter how many women we hire at the entry level. 💡 This is about more than headcount. ↳ It’s about equitable access to opportunity and the ability to grow and lead. 🛠 What Companies Can Do (Starting Yesterday): ↳Audit promotion processes for bias ↳Set measurable goals for first-level promotions ↳Sponsor & develop early-career women ↳Hold leaders accountable for outcomes—not just intentions Women, especially those of us in STEM, are ready to lead.  But our systems and cultures must rise to meet that ambition. We don’t just need a seat at the table. We need a fair shot at getting there. ♻️ Repost this to show support of fixing the broken rung in the corporate ladder 🔔 Join Dr. Romie in promoting women leadership especially in the areas of science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine. #WomenInLeadership #WomenInSTEM #BrokenRung  #WorkplaceCulture

Women make up 1 in 4 C-suite leaders, but for women of color, the statistic sits at 1 in 16, according to findings published by Lean In, a women’s empowerment organization founded by a former Meta chief operating officer. The “glass ceiling” is a well-known metaphor used to represent inequity in the workplace, but Lean In argues this term is misused.  The real issue is a “broken rung” on the ladder of career advancement, according to Lean In. The broken rung concept details that the biggest barrier is the first big promotion from entry level to manager, which happens for women at lower rates than men, Lean In found. This early career setback causes women to fall behind their male colleagues. The rates of early career promotion for women of color, dropped by nearly 10% in the last year, Lean In reported. 

The Real Barrier to Women in Leadership Isn’t the Glass Ceiling—It’s the Broken Rung We talk a lot about the glass ceiling. But for many women, especially women of color, the real barrier starts earlier with the broken rung: the first step up to manager. For every 100 men promoted, only 87 women are—and even fewer women of color. This compounds over time, shrinking the pipeline to leadership and silencing capable voices before they even get started. So how do we fix it? Allyship—not just good intentions, but real action. Sponsorship—advocating for women in the rooms where decisions are made. Transparency & accountability—clear criteria for promotion, and metrics that track equity. Support across difference—we need men, White women, and senior leaders lifting all women. The broken rung won’t mend itself. But together, we can rebuild the ladder. #Leadership #Equity #WomenInBusiness #Allyship #Mentorship #Inclusion #BrokenRung #FutureOfWork #UnmutedVoices

🚁 From the cockpit to the C-suite: Just received the latest McKinsey & Company report on Women in the Workplace, and the findings hit close to home. Having navigated male-dominated military spaces and corporate boardrooms, these insights resonate deeply. Progress at the Top, Stalled in the Middle: More women are reaching C-suite positions, marking a high-altitude success. However, the pipeline in middle management remains clogged. Clearing that runway is crucial for sustained progress. The Broken Rung Persists: For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 81 women follow suit, with even fewer opportunities for women of color. This mirrors challenges with promotion of women in the military (early ranks are time based) to O-4 and O-5. Manager Support is Still Lacking: Insufficient support from managers, especially for women of color, hinders their promotion prospects. Addressing this issue is vital for fostering a more inclusive workplace. Ageism Disproportionally Affects Women: Women under 30 are twice as likely as men to face age-related comments. Combatting ageism across all age groups is imperative for creating a fairer work environment. Shifting focus: Companies are deprioritizing programs supporting women's development and advancement - this will result in mission problems down the road. Leaders, take action: Senior leaders, assess your promotion pipelines to ensure gender diversity at all levels. Middle managers, actively mentor and sponsor women in your teams for their career growth. Inform yourself on continued bias, and put systems in place to address it. To allies, your support is not just appreciated; it's crucial for mission success. Remember, diversity is a force multiplier. Leveraging talent regardless of gender propels us higher, faster, and farther together. What's your take on the report? How are you advancing women in your organization? Join the conversation below! 👇 #WomenInLeadership #GenderEquality #WorkplaceEquity #FromCockpitToBoardroom #BreakingBarriers

There is still a glass ceiling for women and other minority groups to break through, but before that is even a possibility, we need to fix the "broken rung" that is keeping them from even having the opportunity to reach it. According to McKinsey & Company's "Women in the Workplace" 2023 report, for every 100 men promoted to manager, only 87 women are promoted. When considering women of color, only 76 Latinas and 54 Black women are promoted for every 100 men. The report goes on to say this is not because women aren't asking for the promotion or stepping up to do the job. The reason is BIAS - hiring women based on past performance instead of future potential; thinking a woman wouldn't want the position because she has a family at home; disregarding a woman because she is younger and it's assumed she wouldn't have the experience or the drive to be successful. How can you change your thinking to help fix this 'broken rung'?