Gender and leadership: Navigating bias, opportunity, and change

As AI, innovation, and agility emerge as skills of the future, today’s organisations need to embed technical fluency into leadership development.

Persistent gender stereotypes continue to distort how leadership skills are perceived and valued, influencing career progression and opportunities for both male and female executives. How can organisations bridge the perception gap and build inclusive, future-ready leadership cultures? 

The latest research brief from the Capgemini Research Institute, Gender and leadership: Navigating bias, opportunity, and change, explores this new leadership landscape. It offers a comprehensive overview of evolving leadership models and the essential technical skills and strengths that leaders need to thrive. Key findings include:  

• Leadership today transcends gender: Organisations have made progress with respect to leadership and gender, with men and women seen as equally capable leaders and valued by organisations. More than three-quarters of leaders agree that women are as effective as men.  

• AI and data analysis emerge as pivotal capabilities for the future: One in three organisations now promotes leaders who inspire change, drive innovation, and demonstrate adaptability. While AI, data analysis, and innovation are critical technical skills of the future, agility and confidence are rated as top personal leadership strengths. Both men and women see the value in developing their technical skills. 

• A new perception gap could indicate renewed gender stereotyping: Men believe many technical skills of the future to be “inherently masculine,” while women consider them gender-neutral. In reality, women are as confident as men on most skills perceived as “masculine” and are increasingly recognising confidence in themselves, with 58% citing it as their key strength, on par with 59% of men.   

• Bias limits growth and opportunity for all: 53% of women report bias in competitive pay, and 40% say they’ve faced limited opportunities to travel or relocate. In comparison, while 40% of male leaders feel they have received a pay advantage due to their gender, 44% report restricted access to flexible work arrangements. These biases impact satisfaction, retention, and advancement. 

Why read this report? 

This research brief is essential reading for all members of the C-suite committed to building inclusive, future-ready leadership, including CEOs, CHROs, chief diversity and inclusion officers, talent development leaders, and function heads. It draws on insights from 2,750 leaders across 11 countries and 10 key sectors, offering a roadmap for turning leadership equity into business impact. The survey sample includes 1,375 women, 1,372 men, and 3 non-binary leaders. Due to the limited representation of non-binary respondents, the quantitative findings in this report have been analyzed for male and female leaders only. 

To build inclusive, future-ready leadership, organisations must:  

• Address and counter bias 

• Enhance technical training 

• Build transparent and equitable career advancement pathways 

• Democratise mentorship and networking 

• Normalise flexibility for all  

• Redesign leadership models to value diverse styles 

• Recognise transferable skills  

• Promote inclusion beyond the workplace. 

To explore how leadership is changing – and how organisations can lead with inclusion, agility, and impact, download the research brief now.