Accelerating Action: Women in SME Leadership
International Women's Day, celebrated annually on March 8th since 1911, serves as a global platform to recognise women's achievements and advocate for gender equality.
At the current rate of progress however, it will take until 2158, which is roughly five generations from now, to reach full gender parity, according to data from the World Economic Forum.
The 2025 theme comes as no surprise then: "Accelerate Action” to emphasise the urgency of advancing women's roles across all sectors and is a reminder of the work that still needs to be done to achieve gender equality and address the issues of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality.
Increasing Representation
Women have made significant strides in breaking through the glass ceiling, overcoming gender biases, and contributing to social, economic, political and cultural progress globally.
And the representation of women in leadership positions in FTSE companies has been increasing in recent years too, although the pace of change varies significantly by industry, region and the level of leadership being discussed.
However, in UK small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), women are still significantly under-represented in leadership teams, with only 15% of SMEs being led by women.
Despite well-documented benefits of gender diversity in leadership in businesses, barriers persist, including limited access to leadership development, unconscious bias and challenges around work-life balance.
Diverse Leadership Styles
Much research indicates that by increasing representation of women in leadership positions, it brings diverse perspectives to decision-making processes. Women are often credited with bringing different leadership styles to the table, including collaborative and empathetic approaches. Research suggests that these styles can lead to high-performing and inclusive work environments, fostering creativity and innovation, which drives economic growth.
McKinsey reports consistently find that organisations with higher representation of women in leadership roles, particularly in executive positions, outperform those with fewer women in leadership in terms of profitability and value creation.
Roles Models and Mentorship
The visibility of women in leadership roles can inspire and empower future generations of women leaders. However, to ensure that these future leaders do not suffer from "the broken rung" – a metaphor for the critical point where women are less likely to be promoted to managerial positions, thus stalling their progress up the ladder – focused efforts are needed, and coaching, mentorship and networking opportunities are crucial for supporting women’s career advancement and leadership development.
On our LEADlight program for middle leaders and managers, which has been running since 2019, a third of participants are female. By investing in these rising stars, they increase their confidence in leading, delegating and influencing change, and become more prepared for senior management responsibilities.
LEAD™ is the first step in the series of our senior leadership programs and we know from bench-marking against recent research that with one third of our LEAD™ delegates being women, we have over a third more ladies than those on typical national programmes, which is great, but it’s still a long way from being 50/50.
Our numbers rise in our follow-on programmes from LEAD™ where women make up one third of delegates on our GOLD™ programme and half of those undertaking our GAIN™ programme and achieving the related work-based learning MBA.
But many of the women we first speak to about leadership often don’t have the self-belief to see themselves in that role, even though they are, invariably, already leading and growing business. Unlocking this confidence comes through reflection, collaboration and support.
We see it first-hand on LEAD™ where, by bringing together peers from other companies to learn, share, reflect and support one another as they work on real life business issues, they feel better equipped, and more confident, to deal with whatever is thrown at them. They #InspireBelief in one another.
With access to tools, techniques and frameworks through the course and that powerful community of support, all of our delegates are able to explore and reflect on their leadership skills, building their confidence and ultimately supporting success.
Winning Women
Regularly celebrating the achievements of women leaders and telling their success stories can serve as powerful inspiration for aspiring women leaders.
And investing in leadership development programmes is a commonly recommended strategy in discussions about how to support and enhance women’s leadership capabilities and opportunities.
Since our Women’s Day article last year, two more LEAD™ Cohorts have graduated, and across them, one-third of the graduates are women.
Emma Carter, Head of Service Delivery at Inflection Point, said of the programme, “A transformative leadership journey! This experience has been life changing, both professionally and personally. Thought-provoking, interactive and relevant - there wasn’t a masterclass that didn’t leave me with a call-to-action mindset afterwards. LEAD™ will enhance, improve or educate your leadership position in more ways than one, I guarantee it.”
Mischa Oosthuizen, Group Finance Manager at Taylor & Taylor Care, stated, “LEAD™ has helped me to identify what my preferred leadership style is and how it affects my ability to lead, empower and motivate my team. It has been by far the most profound and meaningful leadership development programme of my professional career.”
Samantha Sibery, Head of People & Culture at Severnside Security, shared, “LEAD™ has been transformative to my work and personal growth. It has deepened my understanding of effective leadership and provided practical tools to apply to real life situations. It goes without saying that QuoLux™ are fantastic facilitators who have helped with my confidence and ability to lead. 10/10 recommend to anyone looking to enhance their leadership skills.”
Gillian Williams, Director of People Services at Caring for Communities and People (CCP), who participated in Cohort 22, added, “Attending LEAD™ has provided me with the tools, resources and belief in myself to lead with confidence. LEAD™ has helped me understand aspects of the business that I felt were ‘others’ responsibility. This experience has truly set me up for success and I wholeheartedly recommend it for any leader seeking to enhance their leadership capability.”
Here are the new women LEAD™ Alumni in the first two rows, with the women leaders in our latest Cohort to start pictured too, on the bottom row:
L-R, top to bottom: Mischa Oosthuizen, Group Finance Manager, Taylor & Taylor Care; Gillian Williams, Director of People Services, CCP; Emma Carter, Head of Service Delivery, Inflection Point; Sam Sibery, Head of People & Culture, Severnside Security; Amy Hough, Marketing Director, Workplace Interiors Co.; Anna Clews, Senior Training & Development Manager, Taylor & Taylor Care; Lily Stokes, Director, QBD (Quality by Design); Ramona Ray, Director of Community Based Services, CCP; Gabriella Russell, Home Manager, Taylor & Taylor Care; Beth Hughes, Registered Manager, The Nelson Trust; and Louise Dawson, Head of Education, AccXel Construction School
We’re incredibly proud of all that all our Alumni have achieved and watch now as they ‘pay it forward’ developing their next generation of leaders in their businesses.
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