Women’s Leader Development Programs: Current Landscape and Recommendations for Future Programs

Abstract

The gender gap in leadership positions is unjust and unproductive. In this paper, we focus on one solution – leader development. We leverage a content analysis of the top U.S. women’s leader development programs (WLDPs) and literature on women’s leadership and leader development. We provide seven evidence-based recommendations for WLDPs including: identify measurable objectives, increase access for emerging leaders, cultivate a paradox mindset around leader and gender identity, leverage experiential learning, expand networks, educate about second-generation gender bias, and align evaluations. We urge administrators to adopt our recommendations as one piece of a systematic effort to pursue gender parity in leadership.