Elen Notley, Head of Engagement reflects on a recent report launched by CBI on women’s leadership pathways.
Last week I attended the CBI Wales Women in Leadership Network AGM, where the Women’s Leadership Pathways in Wales research report was launched. The results and discussion were both profound and deeply resonant.
The report challenges the long-held idea that careers progress through a ‘pipeline’. For so many women, it feels far more like a jigsaw, with non-linear steps, pauses, missing pieces, and invisible rules to navigate. That image struck a chord, because it recognises that leadership does not have to be, and should not be, a single rigid route.
WELLBEING, BURNOUT & THE VIEW FROM GEN Z
Asha Musoni, Chief People Officer at CBI, speaking on the panel, reminded us that wellbeing is not a ‘nice to have’, but a workplace essential often defined as ‘feeling good and functioning well’.
She highlighted that younger generations are watching leaders struggle, burn out, or sacrifice personal lives for professional roles, and that alone can be enough to deter them from pursuing leadership themselves. The research supports this concern, with 87% of respondents saying that work-life balance made leadership less appealing.
Her message was clear: if we want future leaders, we must model leadership that is human, balanced and sustainable. That includes:
• creating and enabling flexible working
• embracing side-hustles and outside interests
• rethinking outdated assumptions about hours = value
• reviewing maternity, paternity and parental leave
• considering four-day working weeks
These aren’t perks, they are retention and attraction strategies.
FROM THE LINEAR PIPELINE TO THE REAL-WORLD JIGSAW
The idea of a pipeline implies smooth progression, certainty, and inevitability. But the research shows that many women experience something quite different: a jigsaw career that might involve sideways steps, pauses for caring responsibilities, retraining, a return from parental leave, part-time leadership roles, or phased progression.
This framing invites a shift in how we value experience: leadership potential isn’t lost because someone paused, it may even be strengthened by it.
WHAT THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR HAS TAUGHT ME
From personal experience, the voluntary sector has offered some of the most flexible and understanding working cultures I have encountered.
In my 20s, while planning my career path, I was already thinking about how I would balance my personal and professional life. I knew I wanted children and recognised that I wanted time to settle into an organisation before taking maternity leave.
Unlike many men, I found myself researching not only the role, the team and the salary, but also maternity and flexible working policies, often not openly published and awkward to ask about.
This is a barrier before the journey even begins. It shouldn’t be brave to ask about your future – it should be normal.
MEANINGFUL ACTIONS WE CAN TAKE NOW
To move from research into reality, here are three actions that stood out:
- Redesign leadership roles for sustainability, not survival
If burnout is the price, people will opt out. Leadership must be possible alongside rest, family life, caring roles, and health. - Normalise diverse pathways into leadership
Mentoring, sponsorship and visibility matter, especially for those who didn’t take the traditional route or timeline. - Make the ‘hidden rules’ visible
Transparency about expectations, progression criteria, and flexible leadership options removes unnecessary barriers.
FINAL THOUGHT: THE FUTURE MUST FEEL POSSIBLE
If we are serious about bringing more women into leadership across Wales, we must build workplaces where ambition and wellbeing can coexist.
Leadership needs to feel worth it, not paid for through personal sacrifice.
WHAT NEXT?
At WCVA, this work will continue. As part of our commitment to progressing equity, inclusion and future-focused leadership, we’ll be hosting another event for International Women’s Day 2026.
If you’d like to stay informed:
Sign up to the WCVA newsletter or contact enotley@wcva.cymru if you are interested in contributing, collaborating or attending future discussions.
Let’s ensure our next generation sees leadership not as a cautionary tale, but as a meaningful, fulfilling and achievable path.