The ambition drain: A new report exposes how US companies are quietly throttling women’s rise

A new report by Lean In and McKinsey & Company exposes a stark truth: women’s ambition remains intact, but structural barriers are stifling their rise. Entry-level women face the “broken rung,” limited sponsorship, unequal access to AI skills, and flexibility bias. The ambition gap is not personal, it is created by companies quietly withholding the opportunities women need to advance.

The ambition drain: A new report exposes how US companies are quietly throttling women’s rise
A new report by Lean In and McKinsey & Company exposes a stark truth: women’s ambition remains intact, but structural barriers are stifling their rise. Entry-level women face the “broken rung,” limited sponsorship, unequal access to AI skills, and flexibility bias. The ambition gap is not personal, it is created by companies quietly withholding the opportunities women need to advance.