We Should Talk About the Broken Rungs in Women's Career Ladders with Kweilin Ellingrud

The broken rung: a phenomenon even more pervasive than the glass ceiling in holding women back from career success. 

Women around the world do extremely well when it comes to their education. They graduate at higher rates than men do and have higher average GPAs. But then a strange thing happens: Upon entering the workforce, they immediately lose their advantage. When the first promotions come around, the slide continues—for every 100 men who are promoted to manager, only 81 women get promoted. Women risk falling behind far before they are even tapping the “glass ceiling”.

So, what should we do about that?  Especially in a climate where talking about diversity, equity, and inclusion has become the third rail of business development?

McKinsey senior partners Kweilin Ellingrud, Lareina Yee, and María del Mar Martínez have written a new book, THE BROKEN RUNG: When the Career Ladder Breaks for Women--and How They Can Succeed in Spite of It.  The book is based on over a decade of McKinsey research, conversations with more than 50 remarkable leaders, and their own experiences as senior partners working with companies and women leaders. 

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Kweilin Ellingrud is McKinsey's Chief Diversity Officer and a director of the McKinsey Global Institute, based in Minneapolis. As a senior partner at McKinsey, she has led research on the topics of gender equality, racial equity, generative AI, the future of work, and global competitiveness. She also serves clients in financial services across strategy and operational transformations.