Research over the past 20 years shows that supporting and advancing women in all roles, especially leadership ones, often produces amazing results. A typical consequence is reduced workplace discrimination and inequalities that many women face. Another positive outcome is women mentoring women, with structured programmes helping close mentorship gaps and uplifting all women who participate.
Why Women Should Mentor Other Women
Both the mentor and mentee benefit from mentor-mentee relationships. Research by MentorcliQ found that over four in five women said their mentorship arrangements compelled them to stay in their current organisations and pursue higher leadership positions. This stat is especially important for good leaders who want to retain high-potential female employees.
However, the most beneficial mentor-mentee relationships must have structure and personality alignment to work well. If either fails, the relationship is unlikely to yield the positive effects it could.
Leadership Pipelines Strengthen Companies That Embrace Them
Research shows that organisations with women in leadership and C-suite roles tend to have healthier bottom lines. Grant Thornton UK conducted research showing that the fastest-growing companies increased the number of women in leadership positions by about 30% from 2019 to 2023.
Additional McKinsey reporting showed that companies with female CEOs outperformed all other companies in terms of profitability in 2020.
Embracing leadership pipelines supported by mentorship programmes that lead to more female leaders benefits the companies that do so. It is important to note that doing this is not enough because these companies must also let women lead without undermining them. Without such arrangements, they are less likely to realise the effects and benefits of having women at the helm.
Mentoring and Sponsorships Increased Promotion Rates
One of the most surprising findings from research over the past two decades is that women still face significant hurdles to promotion unless they are mentored or sponsored.
The Centre for Talent Innovations conducted research in 2019 that showed many CEOs choose proteges who look like them – their mini versions, if you will. Since many CEOs are men, this puts women seeking leadership positions at a significant disadvantage.
This paradigm can only change if:
- More men in high-level positions mentor high-potential women
- More women in these positions mentor other women
- More companies pick women for open leadership positions
Sadly, the third is unlikely to happen slowly unless more women push for it. However, the last two situations can arise if high executive-level women mentor other women in business.
Helping Other Women Understand Business at a Higher Level
Even though it is not always the case, the people typically promoted to high-level positions understand the business inside out. Mentors can help mentees fill skill gaps, making them better candidates when positions open. They can encourage them to take a managerial, business, or GDPR course to better understand how the business operates, so they can demonstrate their understanding and ability to run it when the time comes.
This principle applies across industries, including the legal sector, where strong mentorship and business acumen are essential for career progression. For example, experienced professionals such as solicitors in London often combine legal expertise with leadership and client management skills to advance within competitive firms.
Numerous studies show that having more women in leadership positions benefits every organisation that lets them lead. Mentorship programmes can provide advancement avenues that get more women into leadership positions It is up to businesses to realise the relationship between having more women in leadership positions and the benefits it brings.
If you’re inspired to explore mentoring further, watch our Live LinkedIn replay with Ed Johnson, CEO of Pushfar, to discover why having a mentor is the key to career success.