Over-Mentored and Under-Allied: Bridging the Gap for Women in Leadership

Imagine this: a young professional woman, eager to grow her career, participates in a mentorship program offered by her company. She meets regularly with her mentor, gains invaluable advice, and sharpens her skills. Yet, despite her growth and hard work, she remains in the same mid-level role years later, watching male peers ascend the leadership ranks. Her story isn’t unique. It’s the reality for countless women in industries across the globe.

For decades, mentorship programs have been heralded as the solution to workplace inequities. While mentorship undoubtedly provides critical support, guidance, and skill development, it is only one piece of the puzzle. The persistent gap in women’s leadership representation suggests that mentorship alone isn’t enough. What’s missing is allyship—the active advocacy and influence needed to propel women into leadership roles.

We believe it’s time for industries to confront the uncomfortable truth: Women are often over-mentored but under-allied. Addressing this imbalance is not just a moral imperative—it’s a business one. Organizations thrive when their leadership reflects the diversity of the clients and communities they serve.

Mentorship vs. Allyship: Why the Difference Matters

Mentorship helps individuals refine skills, build confidence, and navigate workplace challenges. However, it often stops short of breaking through the structural barriers that hold women back. Allyship, on the other hand, is an intentional, proactive effort by influential leaders to open doors for underrepresented groups. Allies champion women by:

1. Recommending them for promotions.
2. Assigning them to high-visibility projects.
3. Publicly endorsing their achievements.

The numbers tell a compelling story. According to a 2023 Harvard Business Review study, 67% of women reported having a mentor, yet only 10% had a sponsor or ally advocating for their advancement. This disparity highlights the critical gap that allyship can fill.

Without allyship, mentorship programs often fall short in three key areas:

Focus on Soft Skills Over Strategic Access

Mentorship tends to emphasize personal development—such as building confidence, refining communication skills, and navigating workplace dynamics. While important, these areas don’t address access to key decision-makers or opportunities for advancement.

Lack of Organizational Influence

Mentors may not have the authority to recommend their mentees for leadership tracks or effect broader organizational change.

Unconscious Bias and Structural Barriers

Mentorship programs rarely tackle systemic biases that exclude women from decision-making circles. Allyship is critical for breaking down these barriers.

The Transformational Power of Allyship

Allyship is about action, influence, and advocacy. It shifts the focus from personal development to systemic change, creating pathways for women to move into leadership roles. At companies like Microsoft, formal allyship programs have proven effective. Their Global Allyship Program, which trains employees to advocate for underrepresented groups, increased women’s representation in leadership by 12% within three years.

Beyond advancing individual careers, allyship fosters inclusive workplace cultures that drive retention, innovation, and long-term success. However, to make real progress, organizations must commit to creating environments where allyship thrives. Here are actionable strategies:

1. Build Formal Sponsorship Programs—Pair women with senior leaders who actively advocate for their career progression, ensuring they’re considered for leadership opportunities.

2. Hold Leaders Accountable—Incorporate allyship metrics into performance reviews and require leaders to demonstrate their efforts in promoting diversity and inclusion.

3. Amplify Women’s Contributions—Publicly recognize women’s achievements in meetings, company communications, and awards programs. Women are often less likely to advocate for themselves in professional settings due to a combination of societal expectations, workplace dynamics, and internalized barriers. That is why it is imperative to actively shout out the women on your team.

4. Foster Peer Advocacy—Encourage employees to advocate for each other, creating a culture where allyship is everyone’s responsibility.

5. Reward Allyship—Celebrate and reward acts of allyship through recognition programs that signal their importance to organizational success.

Change doesn’t happen overnight, but it must start somewhere. Organizations should measure their progress with metrics such as:

• The percentage of women promoted to leadership roles.
• Retention rates of women at senior levels.
• Employee perception surveys on inclusivity and allyship.

Collecting feedback and adjusting programs based on results ensures a continuous cycle of improvement.

As we enter a new year, let’s challenge ourselves as an industry to move beyond mentorship. Let’s encourage cultures where women are not only guided but championed—where their voices are amplified, their achievements celebrated, and their potential fully realized.

At IndyCREW, we’re committed to fostering this shift. We invite our members, partners, and peers to join us in prioritizing allyship at all levels of leadership. Together, we can bridge the gap for women in commercial real estate and pave the way for equitable growth across industries.

How will you commit to allyship this year?

Let’s keep the conversation going. Share your thoughts, experiences, and ideas in the comments. Together, we can inspire change.

Carrie M. Sermersheim oversees Project Development at American Structurepoint and is the President-Elect for IndyCREW.