How many talented women in your organisation are questioning their future right now?

What if your best female leaders are already planning their exit?

If they left tomorrow, would you know why?

Right now, organisations are watching some of their most promising female leaders walk out the door. Not because these leaders lack drive or ambition, but because they don’t see a future for themselves where they are. Let that sink in.

In 2024, more first-line and mid-level female leaders reached out to me for bespoke leadership coaching than ever before. Of those women, 90% were self-funding their development. Why is this? Leadership coaching is a huge investment, so why wasn’t it being funded by their organisations? Why were these women willing to spend their hard-earned money on their leadership development? Simply put, they saw it as the only way forward.

These women were ambitious and eager to grow, yet they felt trapped, neglected, and frustrated by the lack of investment in their potential. One of them said to me that she felt like Harry Potter stuck in a cupboard and ignored, after returning from parental leave! Many of my clients spoke about ‘line manager lottery’. That progression was not about talent, skills and drive, but based on luck. The ones approaching me felt like the unlucky ones. They desperately wanted a boss who was curious about their needs, potential, development, and progression, and without it they felt sidelined and forgotten.

Many of these women questioned whether they should stay in their organisations at all. They were asking for more, and simply not being heard.

What did we work on in leadership coaching?

We dug deep into what success looked like for them. This is a powerful starting point for all leaders.  From there, we uncovered their core values, purpose, vision, and their unique leadership identity. Once they understood who they are, the value they bring, and their vision of what great looks like to them, they felt re-energised with a deeper sense of self-assurance. For most, it became clear that they needed a leadership culture that would support their ambitions and allow them to reach their full potential. And for many, this realisation led them to the same conclusion: they had to leave their organisation.

This was not an easy decision and at times, painful. Leaving an organisation where they’d built relationships and invested time was a huge loss, and the risk of change was daunting, especially in the current climate. However, for many, it felt like the only way to progress in their careers.

And this isn’t just a personal frustration – it’s a costly mistake for organisations. Replacing a mid-level employee costs an average of £25,000. Without clear pathways for development, these women become high flight risks. A lack of investment and progression at this stage creates a ripple effect leading to fewer women reaching the top senior position. The stats say it all:

• Only 32% of senior management positions in UK mid-sized businesses are held by women.
• Women occupy only 41% of management roles in the UK, with even fewer in senior and strategic positions.
• For every 100 men promoted from entry-level to manager, only 81 women.

These women could have been the next generation of inspiring leaders, but instead, they took their talent elsewhere.

The Pattern: The Neglected Middle

As an expert women in leadership coach and through conversations with leaders on my podcast, The Whole Truth: Leadership Stories with Sarah Perugia, I’ve seen a clear pattern emerge: organisations seem to be neglecting the development of women in the early stages of their leadership journeys. I hear that investment happens either at entry level on graduate programmes or is focused on senior leaders. That crucial middle – the rising female leaders – get overlooked and neglected. This ‘broken rung’ in the corporate ladder is leaving them stuck and less likely to advance. Women at this stage tell me:

• “I’m ready to take the next step, but I’m not sure what that step should be.”
• “I feel like I’ve been forgotten.”
• “I’m stuck in limbo and caught between where I am now and where I want to be.”
• “I’ve reached a point where I need to shift from a tactical to a more strategic mindset, but I’m unsure how to make that transition.”

Without support, these women become high flight risks. They don’t leave because they lack ability or drive, they leave because they don’t see a clear, exciting and supported pathway ahead.

If this pattern is cropping up in your organisation, it’s time to ask yourself: what’s costing you more? Investing in your female leaders or losing them altogether?

The Cost of Losing High-Potential Women

When women at this level leave, it creates a ripple effect:

• Loss of talent – Years of expertise and potential walk out the door.
• Productivity and financial costs – Replacing talent is both expensive and disruptive, with the average cost of replacing a mid-level employee reaching £25,000.
• Missed leadership potential – The pipeline for future female leaders weakens.
• Impact on culture – When women don’t see role models ahead of them, they lose motivation to stay.

The good news? It’s not too late to fix this.

The Solution: Invest in Female Leaders Before They Leave

Supporting female talent isn’t just about fairness – it’s a smart business decision. When you invest in women’s leadership development, you:

• Create a positive, values-driven culture
• Build a ‘promotion-ready’ pipeline of female leaders
• Retain high-potential women and reduce costly turnover
• Position your organisation as a top employer for women
• Foster a gender-balanced leadership team for long-term success

In fact, data shows that a staggering 94% of employees would stay longer at a company if it invested in their learning and development and, in terms of the business advantage, companies who do invest in their talent and have comprehensive training programmes have 218% higher income per employee.

How We Can Help: From Lost to Leadership-Ready

Women at this stage of their journeys are hungry for development and when they don’t find it in their organisation, they seek it elsewhere. Many of the women I coach come to me for self-funded leadership support. The irony? After gaining clarity, confidence, and a strong leadership vision, they often realise their best option is to leave their organisation.

This is why I want to be part of the solution – for these amazing, talented, ambitious leaders, and for values-driven organisations who are working for a better future!

Bespoke Leadership Development for Organisations

We love to partner with companies to create tailored leadership development programmes that support female leaders at this crucial stage. With 20 years of experience, we act as a strategic thinking partner, bringing fresh insights and practical solutions to in-house leadership initiatives. We know each leadership journey is unique, and there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. That’s why we take the time to deeply understand your organisation’s specific challenges and goals, combining specialist knowledge and expertise to craft the perfect programme for your needs.

We listen carefully and design a range of high-impact interventions, including such elements as:

• Virtual Workshops – Practical and interactive learning experiences.
• Group Coaching – Deepening understanding, creating accountability and building a strong community
• One-to-One Leadership Coaching – Personalised support to build vision and clarity.
• In-Person Masterclasses – Deep-dive sessions that teach essential skills and inspire action.
• End-of-Programme Finale – Boosting visibility and recognition within the business. A chance to celebrate!

This approach consistently delivers results, helping individual women find their leadership vision, strong sense of self, and career direction and for their organisations to build a strong pipeline of promotion-ready female leaders.

Women on a Mission: A Flagship, Scalable and Affordable Solution

Women on a Mission is our proven flagship leadership programme that has consistently delivered incredible results for women and organisations across the globe. With a track record of success in various formats, it has helped countless women reach their leadership potential while helping organisations retain and develop their top talent.

This new iteration of the programme has been specifically designed to address the needs of first line and mid-level leaders – this often overlooked, yet crucial stage in a woman’s career journey. By offering an affordable and scalable solution, it supports organisations in strengthening this vital talent pool, ensuring they don’t walk out the door.

This programme includes:

• An online leadership development course – A structured pathway for growth.
• Live Group Coaching – Creating community, accountability and support among peers.
• Optional Enhancements – Including In-Person Masterclasses, a Finale Event and One-to-One Coaching for added depth and individualised feedback and guidance.

This transformative programme is an amazing investment in this valuable middle section of your leadership team, AND a strategic solution to prevent the female talent brain drain and build a strong, successful gender-equal workforce.

Don’t Let Your Best Talent Walk Away

The female talent brain drain is avoidable, if organisations take action. By investing in those wonderful first-line and mid-level leaders you can retain your high-potential women, strengthen your leadership pipeline, and future-proof your business.

We would love to help you do that!

Partner with us to create a leadership development strategy that works. Take a look at our ‘Stories of Success’ here.

If you want to create a great place to work, where talented women not only start their leadership journey but stay, flourish and thrive, get in touch today.