Recent advancements of women to first-time achievements must be the norm, not the last.

It has been a week of global and national record-breaking milestones for female leadership across generations in business, politics, faith communities, music, media and more. At a time of intense cultural pushback, scrutiny and divisiveness toward leaders identifying as women, what lessons can we learn so these breakthroughs are not just one and done?

A look at the momentous achievements on the recent calendar represent different points of view and approaches. It is up to individuals to learn what each leader supports and why, learning how to emulate them or diverge from their path.

“Any advances in women’s leadership is a good thing,” says Gloria Feldt, co-founder and president of Take The Lead. “But agenda matters more than gender.”

Sixty-three-year-old Sarah Mulally is the first woman and 106th archbishop of Canterbury. She is the spiritual leader of 85 million members of the Church of England. It took 1,400 years for this Boomer former nurse to rise to the top position as the first female in this influential faith practice.

“Sarah Mulally is 1st woman Archbishop of Canterbury in 1400 years w 85 mm members of @ChurchofEngland. @spiritualleadership @gender @achievement @globalimpact”

Sanae Takaichi, 64, also a Boomer, will likely become the first female Prime Minister of Japan. It took 140 years. Her politics may not be agreeable to many, but the advancement is notable.

Thirty-five-year-old Taylor Swift’s latest album, “Life Of A Showgirl,” was the most streamed album ever on Amazon Music, while her song, “The Fate of Ophelia,” broke all records for the most streamed song ever in a single day on Spotify. Then she broke the most streams for her album with 3.5 million, surpassing Adele’s record. As a Millennial, Swift has often served as the voice of millions across generations.

“Millennial @taylorswift13 broke all records for the most streamed song ever in a single day and is the voice of millions across generations. @breakingrecords @intergenerational @takeleadwomen”

Swift is all about breaking records—even though she has had armies of naysayers. Her $2 billion revenue from her Eras tour was enormous and a box office tally of $33 million for a two-day run of her “Life of A Showgirl” film in theaters was beyond legendary.

In recent years, it’s not so shocking to have a woman leading a major legacy news media organization. But former controversial oped writer Bari Weiss, 41, also a Millennial, has been named president and editor in chief of CBS News, after selling her company, The Free Press, to Paramount for $150 million. Wendy McMahon was CBS News President and CEO until May.

As these precedents are applauded across generations, it is important to note not everyone can or needs to agree with them.

“Be sure of anyone who is running for office that you are informed about their platforms,” Feldt advises.

Even with these noteworthy advances, the shrinking of women at the top is also a very real symptom of today’s cultural resistance to gender and race equity in leadership.

“Even with these noteworthy advances, the shrinking of women at the top is also a very real symptom of today’s cultural resistance to #gender and #race #equity in #leadership. @takeleadwomen #advancment #resistance”

On the other side of equity is a reversal of momentum with an intentional return to male leader norms. Recently the country’s first ever female superintendent at the U.S. military college in Annapolis, Vice Adm. Yvette Davids, was reassigned to the Pentagon and replaced by Marine Lt. Gen. Michael J. Borgschulte, with little explanation.

With recent severe criticism of the female WNBA leader Cathy Engelbert by top player Napheesa Collier, it is urgent to note that the only three Black female coaches in the league including Noelle Quinn of the Seattle Storm, Tanisha Wright with Atlanta Dream, and Teresa Weatherspoon of the New York Liberty, have all been fired and replaced with men.

It is crucial to discover how to persist successfully in an environment where only some leaders identifying as women can break the ceiling, and others are held back by racist and sexist bias that threatens to erase their value.

“It is crucial to discover how to persist in an environment where only some leaders identifying as women can break the ceiling, and others are held back by racist and sexist bias. #womensleadership #bias @takeleadwomen”

This is not opinion, it is fact.

According to Catalyst, “Across regions and industries, women are underrepresented in senior leadership and earn less than men for the same work. Though women now surpass men in earning advanced degrees, their labor force participation and advancement to top positions have not kept pace. Women of color, particularly Latine and Black women, are even more underrepresented.”

The numbers show that although women are 46.8% of the workforce, they are only 29.2% of chief executive officers in this country.

“Report from @Catalyst: The numbers show that although women are 46.8% of the workforce, they are only 29.2% of chief executive officers in this country. @genderequity @leadership @takeleadwomen”

And some of those appointments to the C-suite are not just because they are well-deserved, but because women are more often promoted in times of crisis. Australian National University Professor Michelle Ryan told attendees at the recent 2025 Women Unlimited Conference, “What we find is that in all of these studies, over and over and over again, a female candidate is much more likely to be chosen when things are going badly.”

When the company’s trajectory improves, the shift to female leadership is a major effort to signify change and direction.

Ryan says that understanding why you are appointed to the top and when is critical. “I think it’s also really important that you get the support and the resources that you need. Dealing with a crisis requires a whole lot of other resources than just keeping a leadership job on an even keel. So that might be support from senior management, it might be support from colleagues, it might be just more money.”

The motivations to strive for gender equity in leadership are similar across geographies, and the disparities are similar, as evidenced by the United Nations Women recent report. So are the solutions.

As of September 2025, just 29 countries have 32 women serving as Heads of State or Government. “At the current rate, gender equality in the highest positions of power will not be reached for another 130 years,” according to the UN report.

“ New @UN_Women report: 29 countries have 32 women serving as Heads of State or Government. “At the current rate, gender equality in the highest positions of power will not be reached for another 130 years.” #globalleadership #genderinequity”

Additionally, “women represent 22.9 per cent of Cabinet members heading Ministries, leading a policy area as of 1 January 2025. There are only nine countries in which women hold 50 per cent or more of the positions of Cabinet Ministers leading policy areas.”

What is helpful toward the process of fairness in representation is designing and mandating a set of quotas, the UN reports, which is also applicable in companies, organizations and administrations across all industries.

Setting these goals increases applications by women as does women taking initiatives individually. What works is women “working across party lines through parliamentary women’s caucuses—even in the most politically combative environments—and by championing issues of gender equality,” the UN reports.

How that translates to leadership in businesses large and small is working with allies and colleagues who may pushback against gender fairness and claim that placing women in high leadership positions reflects “tokensim” and is not deserved and due to earned value. These are workplace and organizational systems that applaud the “one and done” of high visibility leadership of one woman near the top in the C-suite. And then stop the process of progress.

The cultural climate that claims DEI is injurious to quality in leadership because it does not honor the traditional history of patriarchy, is not based on fact and can be countered with data.

“Claims that #DEI is injurious to quality in leadership because it does not honor the traditional history of patriarchy, is not based on fact and can be countered with data. @genderequity @NYuniversity @takeleadwomen”

A recent New York University report, Risks of Retreat: The Enduring Inclusion Imperative, of 2,500 employees shows that DEI is good for business.

Catalyst reports, “Inclusion has never been a liability — it’s a competitive advantage and a business imperative," said Jennifer McCollum, president and CEO of Catalyst. “The data prove that organizations committed to the principles of opportunity and fairness behind DEI will be the ones that outperform their peers, retain talent, and build lasting trust.”

Being vocal about contributions and requesting access to high decision-making processes may increase visibility for women in any organization. Demonstrating availability for new projects and volunteering to improve outcomes—and documenting all of it—are ways to expose readiness for promotion or consideration for larger roles and titles.

Enhancing confidence, conquering doubts and imposter syndrome and showcasing your brilliance are tactics anyone can use, CU Management reports.

If you are on target in making clear your expertise, excellence and competence, make sure that the workplace aligned with everyone’s self-improvement goals, regardless of gender.

“Organizations need to create structures that minimize bias and amplify equity. That means fair promotion processes, transparent pay, strong sponsorship programs, and cultures that treat mistakes as learning opportunities. Individual confidence grows stronger when the environment supports it,” according to CU Management.

It is heartening to witness the beneficial strides made by women globally recently—acknowledging some troublemsome points of view-- and also a reminder of the harrowing resistance and denial of the culture of the dire need to promote fairly and make all firsts last longer and not be the lasts.

“Everyone has been the first to do something,” says Feldt. “Whether it is in their family or community, class, school, company or country.”

“Everyone has been the first to do something,” says Gloria Feldt, co-founder, pres @takeleadwomen. “Whether it is in their family or community, class, school, company or country.” ”

For the benefit of everyone, the progress cannot stop there.

Featured

About the Author

Michele Weldon is editorial director of Take The Lead, an award-winning author, journalist, emerita faculty in journalism at Northwestern University and a senior leader with The OpEd Project. @micheleweldon www.micheleweldon.com

Make The Firsts Last Longer: How To Sustain Breakthroughs By Women Leaders in Tough Times

Info

Action