A first-of-its-kind UK research paper, featured by BBC News and commended by central government, has uncovered new insights into the origins of successful female leadership. The study was self-funded funded over 18 months.

The research finds that participation in sport and early competitive experiences are among the strongest enablers of female leadership, cutting across socio-economic, academic and cultural backgrounds. It shows that women do not require elite academic results, privileged schooling or conventional career pathways to reach senior and board-level roles. Instead, leadership capability develops through a nurturing ecosystem of lived experiences that often begin in childhood.

Origins of a Successful Female Leader, led and funded by Vicky Brook, Founder and Chair of the Women’s Leadership Group CIC (WLG), addresses a longstanding gap in evidence on how women progress into senior leadership. The study examines formative influences and identifies sport, family support, early work experience and mid-career development, such as business schools and executive programmes, as the most significant contributors. Together, these experiences build resilience, teamwork, strategic judgement and accountability, all essential attributes for boardroom effectiveness.

Read more at: https://www.iod.com/resources/inclusion-and-diversity/from-pitch-to-boardroom-sport-nurture-and-the-origins-of-successful-female-leaders/