This Women’s History Month, we want to tackle four of the most persistent myths and outdated mindsets about women in business.

As a woman-led business, Grokker is committed to driving inclusion within our ranks and in the workplace as a whole. Unfortunately, companies like ours are still all too rare. Despite years of progress, we still have a long way to go to drive participation of women in leadership and entrepreneurship. In 2024, startups founded exclusively by women only raised 2% of the total capital invested in VC-backed startups. Only 8% of CEO positions in the S&P 500 are held by women, and less than a quarter of the world’s board seats are occupied by women. 

According to our founder and CEO, Lorna Borenstein, “It's amazing that we've sadly made so little progress. We know the only way to get more women in leadership roles is to have women leading companies. But the sad truth is, if you look at the percentage of women entrepreneurs and senior leaders, it’s just embarrassingly low.”

So why haven’t we seen more progress? Persistent myths and outdated mindsets prevent organizations from making the structural changes needed to fix the root of the problem. Thankfully, we have more data than ever to combat those myths and outmoded ways of thinking.  Let’s examine those myths to rethink what leadership truly looks like. 

Myth #1: Women leave the workforce after having children

One of the most common myths about why women aren’t working in leadership positions is that they are leaving the workforce after having children. But the data shows that this simply isn’t true. According to SHRM, labor force participation rates of women ages 25-54 with children under age 5 who had a job reached over 70 percent in 2023. Before that, it held steadily at 65%.

Despite concerns about moms leaving the workforce during the pandemic, their participation rates have now surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Remote and flexible working arrangements have helped to make that shift possible. As companies consider return-to-office mandates, they should evaluate the impact this will have on the progress that’s been made. 

Myth #2: Women aren’t as capable of leading

One of the most toxic and longstanding beliefs that hold women back is that they aren’t capable. On the contrary, the data clearly shows that companies that embrace women in leadership actually see better outcomes across the board. 

McKinsey has tracked the diversity of C-Suites and boards at companies around the world for more than a decade. They found that representation of women on executive teams has expanded over the years, and those companies increasingly outperform their peers. In 2015, companies with higher representation of female executives were 15% more likely to outperform financially compared to those with the fewest women in leadership. By 2023, that advantage had grown to 39%.

Having women in leadership helps companies excel. They bring diverse perspectives that improve decision-making and they help to promote an inclusive environment where employees can thrive. This diversity of thought leads to more innovative solutions, better risk management, and stronger financial performance.

Myth #3: Women can’t work together

There’s a common cultural misconception that women don’t work well together. Organizational psychologists found that the more women there are on a team, the more team collaboration improves. 

During the study, the psychologists examined working groups of two to five people. Teams with a greater percentage of women consistently showed higher collective intelligence, meaning they collaborated more effectively. This was linked to more balanced discussions, where all voices were heard and ideas were leveraged to their fullest potential.

Not only do women work well together, but they also help to elevate input from everyone on the team. Open dialogue and equal participation are key to driving innovation and agility, factors that are key to success at any company.

Myth #4: We just need to remove the glass ceiling

The concept of the glass ceiling promotes the idea that women are getting close to senior-level leadership opportunities, but they’re just not breaking through. In truth, women are being skipped over for managerial positions much earlier in their careers, creating what McKinsey calls the “broken rung.” 

Their researchers found that, for every 100 men who get promoted, only 87 women advance. For women of color, that number drops to 73. This slows their path to senior-level leadership, as they can’t get the valuable managerial experience required to rise through the ranks.

When women lead, companies succeed

It’s clear that having women in leadership roles helps propel companies to better innovation, decision-making, profitability, and inclusiveness. To make the progress needed to improve the rates of women in leadership, we need to confront these myths.

Women need more opportunities in their early careers, access to mentors, and trust in their competence and unique skills. Companies must move beyond performative gestures and commit to real structural change. By challenging outdated assumptions and actively investing in women’s professional development, we can break down barriers and create workplaces where leadership isn’t defined by gender, but by talent and impact.