Lessons Learned from Leading Women in Tech Organizations

The technology industry has a well-documented diversity problem. Despite the growing number of women entering the field, men continue to dramatically outnumber women, especially in technical and leadership positions. Women make up only 28% of the tech workforce, hold a mere 15% of C-suite roles, and account for a paltry 3% of venture capital funding.

While the causes are complex, the consequences are clear: tech is leaving an enormous amount of female talent on the table. Not only is this hurting individual women‘s career prospects, but it‘s also bad for business. Extensive research shows that companies with more gender diversity outperform less diverse peers on everything from employee retention to innovation to profitability. For instance:

• Companies with the most women in leadership roles see returns on equity that are 10% higher on average than firms with the fewest. (Source: MSCI)
• Gender-diverse tech companies are 45% more likely than homogeneous ones to improve market share. (Source: Kauffman Fellows)
• Statups founded and co-founded by women generate 78 cents in revenue per dollar invested, versus only 31 cents for all-male founding teams. (Source: BCG)

Source: Built In

Clearly, the business case for gender equity in tech is strong. But to get there, the industry desperately needs more women in positions of power and influence leading the charge. As a woman in tech who has held leadership roles at multiple levels, I know firsthand how challenging it can be to ascend the ranks in a male-dominated field. I‘ve faced my fair share of biases, barriers, and bro culture.

But I‘ve also experienced the incredible impact that women tech leaders can have as mentors, advocates, and change agents. Through my involvement with women in tech organizations over the years, I‘ve met countless inspiring women smashing glass ceilings and transforming the industry for the better. Here are some of the most valuable lessons they‘ve taught me about thriving as a woman in tech leadership.

Tech Needs You, As You Are

Imposter syndrome—the nagging feeling that you‘re a fraud on the verge of being unmasked—runs rampant among women in tech. In fact, 72% of women in tech say they‘ve battled imposter syndrome at some point in their careers, compared to only 58% of men. It‘s no wonder why. When you‘re the only woman on the team tasked with proving that women are just as capable as men, the pressure to be perfect is immense.

Here‘s the thing: you don‘t have to be perfect. You just have to be you. Your unique background and perspective is an asset to your company, not a weakness. Diversity drives innovation. Teams lacking diversity risk getting trapped in an echo chamber of similar ideas. Companies with more women, by contrast, patent 19.3% more innovations on average. You belong in tech because your voice is valuable and necessary.

"Many women suffer from imposter syndrome," says Archana Vemulapalli, former CTO of Washington DC. "My advice is don‘t try to be someone else. Everyone has unique talents and skills. Be confident in yours." When that pesky self-doubt starts creeping in, acknowledge it—then actively combat it. Make a list of your top accomplishments and strengths. Seek out positive feedback from colleagues. Remind yourself that you‘ve earned your position through hard work and talent, even if your path doesn‘t look like everyone else‘s.

Lift As You Climb

No one achieves career success completely on their own. We all need mentors and sponsors in our corner advocating for us, opening doors, and illuminating the path forward. This is especially true for women in fields like tech where senior leaders still skew heavily male. Sadly, 48% of women in tech say lack of mentors is a major career hurdle.

That scarcity of female role models is exactly why women who have broken into tech leadership must make uplifting the next generation of women a top priority. "Pay it forward" is a mantra I hear constantly from women tech leaders. Use your influence to create opportunities for other women wherever possible. That could mean anything from offering informal mentorship to sponsoring formal programs to advocating for more equitable hiring and promotion practices.

"There are so many women out there who are the ‘only‘ on their teams," says Alice Chang, CEO of Perfect Corp. "If we want more diversity at the top, those of us who are already here must hold the door open for others." Recognize that your success is not just yours alone. You have a responsibility to send the elevator back down for the women coming up behind you. Put simply, we rise by lifting others.

Stay Focused on the North Star

Driving diversity and inclusion in the tech industry is hard, often thankless work. Progress can feel infuriatingly slow, resistance can be fierce, and it‘s easy to get demoralized by all the stories of bias, harassment, and discouragement that so many women in tech face daily. The key is to stay laser-focused on the end goal: a tech ecosystem where people of all genders have equal opportunities to participate and lead.

"Being a woman leader in tech means signing up to be a change agent," says Meenakshi Narain, who heads Visa‘s Global Diversity & Inclusion Strategy. "It requires resilience, grit, and never losing sight of the bigger picture." When you‘re down in the trenches doing the difficult day-to-day work, it‘s critical to keep your eyes on that North Star. Every meeting where you call out a microaggression, every woman you mentor, every inclusive policy you push for—they‘re all small steps propelling the industry in the right direction.

Source: Information is Beautiful

Remember too that you‘re not alone in this fight. Far from it. There are legions of badass women in tech and male allies working tirelessly alongside you to disrupt the status quo. Lean on those co-conspirators for support when you need it. Celebrate every win together, no matter how small. A single woman might be able to make incremental change, but a movement of women bound by a shared mission? They can reshape an entire industry.

Cultivate Cultural Competence

While gender is one dimension of diversity, it‘s far from the only one. Race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability status, age—they all intersect to shape women‘s lived experiences in tech, often in ways that create added challenges and biases. For instance, women of color and LGBTQ+ women face wider pay gaps, higher turnover rates, and lower leadership representation compared to white, straight, cisgender women. An equitable tech industry isn‘t just about shattering the glass ceiling, but about examining who that broken glass still cuts.

That‘s why as a woman leader in tech, cultivating cultural competence—an openness to learning about and honoring cultural differences—is non-negotiable. "Cultural competence is key for bringing out the best in all people," explains Erica Lockheimer, Director of Engineering & Women in Tech Lead at LinkedIn. "It allows leaders to create psychologically safe spaces where everyone feels respected and empowered to thrive."

Developing this skill starts with educating yourself. Read up on the unique obstacles that women with different intersectional identities face in tech. Learn about concepts like implicit bias, microaggressions, and allyship. Attend employee resource group meetings and inclusivity trainings. Then most importantly, put those learnings into practice.

Solicit input from women colleagues with diverse backgrounds. Recruit, mentor, and champion women who are underrepresented in your organization. Call out non-inclusive language and behavior. Recognize how your own identities shape your perspective. Above all, listen more than you speak. Wielding your influence to elevate the most marginalized women doesn‘t just help them, but makes the tech industry stronger as a whole.

To Go Fast, Go Together

Perhaps the most resounding message I‘ve heard from women tech leaders is that success is a team sport. No woman makes it to the top entirely on her own steam. Behind every trailblazing woman in tech is a battalion of mentors, sponsors, allies, and "booster clubs" propelling her higher. The women who thrive as leaders don‘t just build those support systems for themselves, but devote significant energy to paying it forward.

"Women leaders must be intentional about creating opportunities for other women," says Tracey Welson-Rossman, founder of TechGirlz. "We go farther faster when we go together." In an industry that is still so overwhelmingly dominated by men, women must be especially proactive about supporting other women. Make introductions. Nominate them for stretch roles. Amplify their ideas in meetings. Celebrate their accomplishments publicly. Mentor and sponsor them, both formally and informally.

Some might argue that with so few leadership positions available to women in tech, we have no choice but to compete with one another. I would argue the exact opposite. The real competition isn‘t other women, but the biased systems and power structures that limit women‘s advancement. We are far more powerful fighting those barriers as a united front. There‘s a saying that I love: "A rising tide lifts all boats." In other words, when one woman succeeds, we all succeed. A win for any of us is a win for all of us.

Source: ISACA

So let‘s commit to being each other‘s rising tide. Let‘s compete not with one another, but FOR one another. In a male-dominated field like tech, women must be uniquely intentional about championing other women. Research reveals that women are significantly less likely to have a sponsor than men, and that having a sponsor roughly triples a woman‘s likelihood of advancing to an executive level. By leveraging our collective influence to uplift more women, we can build a tech industry that finally reflects the diverse world we live in.

Be Bold, Be Brave, Be You

Here‘s one final piece of advice for women aiming to lead in tech: Stop playing it safe and start taking big swings. I‘ve noticed that women often feel pressured to be perfect, avoiding failure at all costs. We tend to wait until we meet 100% of the qualifications before throwing our hat in the ring for a job. We hesitate to negotiate for the pay and promotions we know deep down we deserve. We shy away from ruffling feathers, even in the face of blatant bias. But here‘s the hard truth: You‘ll never create transformative change in tech by staying quiet and coloring inside the lines.

"The most impactful women leaders take risks, buck conventions, and disrupt the status quo," says Debbie Madden, Executive Coach and author of Power Up: How Smart Women Win in the New Economy. "They understand that making enemies is sometimes the price of making progress." Don‘t be afraid to stake out a bold vision and go after it full throttle. Experiment with innovative solutions. Bounce back from failures and roadblocks. Speak hard truths to people in power. Advocate fiercely for yourself and other women. Refuse to make yourself smaller in order to avoid criticism or controversy.

The most revolutionary women in tech are often the ones who elicit the strongest reactions. They‘re firebrand change agents who take no prisoners in their mission to make the industry more equitable. Think of the likes of Sheryl Sandberg preaching women‘s empowerment from the helm of Facebook. Or Susan Fowler blowing the whistle on Uber‘s toxic bro culture. Or Reshma Saujani rejecting the "boys club" altogether to found Girls Who Code. Were they universally adored for shaking up the status quo? No. Did they back down in the face of pushback? Also no. They put themselves out there because they knew that creating change necessitates rocking the boat.

As a woman in tech leadership, never lose sight of your power. You have an enormous platform to transform the industry for the better. Use it fearlessly and unapologetically. Be the role model you always wished you had. Speak out against sexism and discrimination wherever you see it. Lift up the women around you. Stay focused on the more equitable future you‘re fighting for. You have everything you need to make it a reality. Now go out there and be the badass disruptor I know you already are.