Four Ways Women Founders Can Help Other Women Grow

I'm surrounded by women building businesses and pursuing bold visions. We often talk about revenue and how to scale. Lately, though, I've been thinking about the women who help us get there.

When we bring another woman into our business, we do more than fill a role. We have an opportunity to help her discover strengths and pursue ambitions that may eventually take her on a different path. But her growth is not a loss.

My original research examined the experiences of women of color executives in large nonprofit organizations. Their stories offer lessons for founders, too. Many credited their success to people who invested in them, often outside of formal programs and before they recognized their own potential.

As founders, we can do the same. Here are four ways:

1. Develop women for their future, not just your business

It's a familiar tension: You want talented people to grow. You also hope they'll stay.

One executive recalled taking a small cut in her own salary to support a woman who was integral to her organization. That's an extraordinary choice, not a standard founders should be expected to meet.

What matters is that she saw another woman's potential and acted. Investment doesn't always require money. Mentorship can mean helping someone strengthen a skill or navigate a challenge. Sponsorship goes further.

You can use your influence to open doors, introduce her to your network, or recommend her for a significant opportunity. How can you invest in a valued team member's growth?

2. Make women's growth part of your business vision

Picture your business three years from now. Maybe your team has doubled, or you've launched the product you've been dreaming about. Now picture the women helping you get there. What will have changed for them?

Invite women into conversations about where the business is headed. Let them understand how decisions are made, not just the tasks that drive results. Ask what they want to learn, then identify opportunities that help them get there.

When defining your business vision, think beyond revenue and expansion. Make women’s advancement part of the goals you measure.

Are women moving into leadership roles? Does their compensation reflect their increased contributions?

Perhaps we need another metric of success: not only how much the business grows, but how much the women behind it grow as well.

3. Give women a voice, not just a seat

One executive I interviewed recalled sitting along the perimeter of an important meeting early in her career while those with greater influence occupied the center table. The seating arrangement made the hierarchy explicit.

But the bias came from the woman leading the meeting, who assumed the executive wasn’t intelligent because she was quiet. In reality, she held an Ivy League degree. Although she was present, her ability to contribute was underestimated.

A small business may not have a boardroom, but the pattern can appear anywhere. Do you mistake quietness for a lack of confidence or capability? Are there women whose potential you’ve overlooked because they didn’t fit your expectations? Giving women a seat at the table means little if we don’t value what they have to say.

4. Build a business where women can flourish

My research uncovered that burnout wasn't only about workload. Some women described the added exhaustion of having to prove they belonged. That pressure can grow when women feel they must demonstrate their worth by taking on more.

Before handing someone an exciting new responsibility, consider what support comes with it. Can another task come off her plate? Will you back her up when a client pushes past reasonable boundaries? Can she tell you when she’s overwhelmed without fearing it will be held against her?

Helping women flourish means creating an environment where they feel valued, their individual needs are respected, and their wellbeing is a priority.

Start with one woman

Not everyone you invest in will stay. Some will grow with your business, some will go elsewhere, others will start something of their own. That isn't a failed investment. It's influence that reaches beyond your company.

This week, think of one woman whose potential you see. Ask her what she wants to do next and how you can help her get there. Then take one concrete step.

Your business's success matters. So does the success of the women who helped you build it.

Related article by Dr. Nicole Edwards:

You’re Not Burned Out From Working Too Hard. You’re Burned Out From Running on the Wrong Fuel.