Supporting High-Potential Women at Work: 5 lessons from Leadership Coaching

At Barefoot Coaching we’ve been coaching senior female leaders and high potential women across the globe for over two decades. To mark International Women’s Day 2026, here are five lessons we’ve learned about the challenges women in leadership face today, and how organisations can help women overcome them.

1. Authentic Leadership: Women Leaders Want to Be Seen for Who They Really Are
   
   High potential women are feeling a tension between the leader they should be and the leader they want to be. They are seeking out spaces to lead in ways that feel authentic rather than purely reactive. Leadership coaching offering women the opportunity to explore their values and how they want to be seen by others is highly appreciated in this context. Honesty, fairness, and support for others are key values for many; women want to work in organisations where these principles are recognised.
   
   
   
2. Ambition vs Wellbeing: The Hidden Trade-Off Facing High-Potential Women
   
   Many female leaders struggle to maintain a healthy sense of wellbeing alongside the demands of high-performance culture. Childcare responsibilities are seen as a barrier to career progression by many. For too many senior leaders, it is simply accepted that wellbeing must be sacrificed to get ahead. Strong relationships with line managers built on trust and mutual respect, as well as family support, act as positive buffers. Knowing that someone has their back makes all the difference.
   
   
   
3. From Technical Expert to Strategic Leader – the hidden challenges
   
   Many high potential women report control-oriented management structures which limit their ability to advance from an operational into more strategic approach. Women are keen to adopt a modern leadership style, moving away from technical direction to a coaching style built on trust. However, organizational structures can make this a challenge. Women leaders want reward systems and KPIs to reflect contemporary leadership expectations.
   
   
   
4. Influence Without Authority: Visibility and Managing Upwards
   Women are seeking creative ways to navigate increased responsibility and visibility alongside complex organizational politics. They’re looking to exert influence, often without formal authority. The skills they want to develop are tied to the organizational climate and wider culture – specifically, women want to know how to communicate for maximum impact in the organization in which they’re operating. Clarity on how to direct their ideas and concerns upwards is important.
   
   
   
5. Navigating the “Boys’ Club”: Belonging and Psychological Safety for Women in Leadership
   
   Initiatives aimed at supporting women add value, but hidden bias persists under the radar. For example, menopause cafes, talent accelerator training programmes, and mentoring schemes can all add value. Yet, the value of these initiatives risks being undermined by implicit prejudice in the form of more opaque ‘boy’s clubs’. Unofficial, informal male-dominated gatherings outside of the workplace remain prevalent. The spillover effect is women feeling disconnected and uncomfortable when interacting with these groups in the workplace.
   
   The 2025 Gender Gap Report from the World Economic Forum shows that the global gender gap is getting smaller, yet significant inequalities persist in the workplace. All five findings demonstrate that the leadership gap isn’t just about women— it’s also about organisational culture. Executive coaching can help strengthen individual female leaders, but without reshaping the foundations of organisational culture, it remains a renovation in a building that still needs structural change.