Why Advancing Women Requires Advancing Men

Anyone engaging with the topic of quotas and the promotion of women knows it won’t earn universal applause. Few issues polarize as sharply as gender quotas: some remain firmly in favor, others vehemently opposed. Still others stifle a yawn behind their hand, dismissing the debate as soft, insignificant, or simply annoying. Yet none of us — especially not as employers — can afford to ignore the challenge of bringing more women into leadership roles. Quite simply, we can no longer do without highly educated women. The fact that so many companies — particularly large corporations — still haven’t grasped this is nothing short of baffling.
Since the beginning of August, new rules under Germany’s so-called Second Leadership Positions Act (Zweites Führungspositionen-Gesetz) have come into force, putting DAX-listed corporations under pressure. Publicly traded companies with equal employee representation on supervisory boards, more than 2,000 employees, and more than three board members must now appoint at least one woman to their executive board when filling new positions. That’s one side of the equation. The other side, however, is that women themselves must also want to pursue leadership roles at the top management level. And despite all the talk of diverse leadership cultures, the numbers suggest this is still not happening.

Despite women’s advancement programs, broad-based diversity workshops, flexible working hours, and home office options, only one in three managers in Germany is a woman (source: Destatis). The fact is that more women work part-time today than ten years ago. According to the Federal Statistical Office (2022), 66% of women are employed part-time, compared to only 7% of men. Mothers of young children in Germany are even twice as likely to work part-time as the EU average.
The various programs have therefore done little to actually enable women to reach leadership positions. Instead, they often serve primarily as PR for companies eager to attract more female employees — because qualified women are an undeniable economic factor for growth and success.
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If we truly want women to have a real chance at playing at the very top, it will only happen if companies undergo a genuine mindset shift — a true cultural change. And that does not mean, sorry to say, rolling out yet more programs that, as we’ve seen, have little to no real impact.

Our society needs to take a completely new look at the roles of mothers and fathers. Just as women are questioning traditional role models and fighting for change, men must do the same — and take action. Especially those in leadership positions. Because only those who live by different values can actually drive change. Good intentions alone won’t cut it.
We saw this clearly during the pandemic: women generally shouldered more care work alongside their jobs than their male colleagues, many of whom are now happily back in the office, while many women continue to work from home — juggling children and household duties on the side. Here, men must clearly step up and take on their share, so that women can also work full-time if they choose to.

Not long ago, I heard about a male executive at a large telecommunications company who became a father again later in life and applied for parental leave. Of course, it was granted — as is his right. But what happened when he, a long-serving leader, returned? He was “promoted” into a meaningless position — essentially punished for having taken parental leave. Just one example, but telling of the mindset that still prevails in many German companies.
This happens because male role models are missing — men who set a clear signal and challenge entrenched gender roles. Where are the male CEOs who pick up their children from kindergarten, take on part-time roles, or even step back for a while so that their partners can pursue their careers more fully? How much longer will we have to keep looking to Scandinavia to see such male role models in action? And of course, this also requires systemic change: Germany needs to finally introduce all-day schools and provide sufficient childcare.
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We therefore need not just well-intentioned words, but male leaders who actively model change. Only when a CEO acts according to the rules of their own company can they truly drive a cultural shift — a shift from which everyone benefits.
Men should also speak openly when obstacles are placed in their way simply because they want to take advantage of benefits that, at least in theory, their company already provides. Change will likely only happen if corporate missteps are publicly discussed and reforms actively demanded — especially in times when companies are desperately seeking good talent.
Only if we give men’s career development the same weight as women’s do we stand a chance of fostering a genuinely diverse leadership culture. A true mindset shift can only come through leading by example. Programs alone remain a fig leaf and, unfortunately, do little to advance women’s advancement.