Breaking In: Strategic Moves for Women to Overcome Career Barriers at All Stages w/ McKinsey's Lareina Yee

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May 13, 2025

Lareina Yee, a senior partner at McKinsey & Company and co-founder of the Women in the Workplace study, shares her insights on women's career advancement. She discusses the 'broken rung' phenomenon, revealing that for every 100 men promoted, only 81 women receive the same opportunity. Lareina emphasizes the importance of building a strong sponsor network, not just relying on mentorship. She challenges stereotypes about motherhood, suggesting it can be a career advantage if navigated intentionally. Tune in for practical strategies to accelerate gender parity!

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INSIGHT

The Broken Rung Impact

The "broken rung" refers to the first promotion where women face a significant drop in advancement opportunities compared to men.
Fixing this early career barrier could accelerate gender parity from 150 years to just 10 years.

ADVICE

Build Experience Capital Early

Gain experience capital deliberately by accepting roles that build vital business skills, like P&L and entrepreneurship.
Take bold career moves that increase your skill set by 25% or more to enhance long-term earnings and progression.

ADVICE

Purposeful Networking Strategies

Build your professional network by playing to your strengths and nurturing relationships at your own style.
Purposefully invest time in connecting with senior colleagues and extend your network beyond peers and juniors.

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In this episode, we hang out with Lareina Yee, senior partner at McKinsey and absolute powerhouse who's helping crack the code on women's career advancement. As co-founder of the Women in the Workplace Study and co-author of "The Broken Rung," Lareina breaks down the shocking truth about the earliest career barrier holding women back (hint: it starts way earlier than most of us realize).

We get REAL about why that first promotion is such a make-or-break moment (would you believe for every 100 men promoted, only 81 women get the same opportunity?), why building the right kind of network matters more than just working hard, and how motherhood might actually be your secret career superpower if you play it right. The best part? This isn't just theoretical talk – Lareina shares actual tactical moves that could help achieve gender parity in one generation instead of waiting 150+ years.

Listen for:

The eye-opening truth about the "broken rung" and why fixing it could slash the gender parity timeline from 150 years to just 10
Why you absolutely need to grab some "experience capital" (especially P&L roles) if you want serious career advancement
How to build a powerful sponsorship network even if you're totally not the networking type
Real strategies for turning parenthood into a career boost instead of a career killer
The critical difference between being mentored (which most women have plenty of) and being sponsored (which most women desperately lack)
Practical moves to jump career hurdles no matter where you are on your journey

Episode Highlights

⏰ 5:20 The Broken Rung Reality Check: Where the gender gap actually begins (and it's not where you think)

⏰ 11:45 Experience Capital 101: The business skills that literally determine half your lifetime earnings

⏰ 15:30 Sponsorship vs. Mentorship: Why one coffee chat buddy isn't the same as someone opening actual doors for you

⏰ 22:30 Motherhood Game Plan: Tactical moves to avoid the "motherhood penalty" and maybe even get ahead

⏰ 27:15 Career Pep Talk: Why you're never "off track" – just taking a more interesting route to success

Whether you're just starting out, drowning in the "messy middle," or eyeing that corner office, this conversation gives you an actual playbook for breaking through career barriers at any stage. This isn't just for women either – it's essential listening for anyone who wants to create more equitab

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. We are not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host or the management.

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