The business world loves a success story. Media outlets frequently spotlight “exceptional” businesswomen who have broken through the glass ceiling – the CEOs, the founders, the venture-backed entrepreneurs who seem to prove that determination and talent are all it takes to succeed. While these stories are inspiring, they can inadvertently perpetuate harmful myths and obscure the systemic barriers that most women face in their professional lives.

I have kept on reflecting on the stories I have heard about successful women in various fields and I believe we need to begin to change the narrative and shift the focus if we are going to have many women make it in life. We need to build  better narratives that makes success the norm for women and not just for exceptionals. This has to  start by addressing some of the challenges and biases I believe have been formed as successful women are profiled.

The Survivorship Bias Problem

When we focus exclusively on successful outliers, we fall into a classic survivorship bias trap. We study only those who “made it” while ignoring the countless qualified women who faced insurmountable obstacles. This creates several problematic narratives:

The “If She Can Do It, Anyone Can” Fallacy

Often by projecting that the trailblazers in any field made it to show that anyone can do it, overlooks crucial advantages some successful women had (family wealth, connections, educational privilege). We then tend to ignore structural barriers that prevent equally talented women from advancing. I have seen many other average and ordinary women carrying heavy and undue burden to “overcome” systemic problems.

The “Merit-Based Success” Myth

Many times there is an assumption that there is a level playing field where the most qualified naturally rise. Narratives disregard how bias, discrimination, and harassment create uneven opportunities and minimise the role of luck and other circumstances in such success stories.

The Hidden Barriers

I have realized that most women face challenges that rarely appear in success stories:

For example;

Financial Obstacles

– Limited access to capital and investment

– Lower salary offers and starting positions

– Wealth gaps that affect ability to take entrepreneurial risks

– Lack of generational wealth or family safety nets

Structural Issues

– Inadequate parental leave policies

– Expensive or inaccessible childcare

– Inflexible work schedules

– Limited mentorship opportunities

– Exclusion from informal professional networks

Cultural Barriers

– Unconscious bias in hiring and promotion

– Double standards in performance evaluation

– Pressure to conform to conflicting expectations

– Harassment and hostile work environments

– Being seen as representative of all women

The Cost of “Exceptional” Standards

The celebration of outlier success stories can have negative consequences that cause stagnation in the noble work and effort for women empowerment:

1. Individual Burden

– Women feel they must be exceptional just to be considered equal

– Pressure to constantly prove competence

– Burnout from attempting to overcome systemic barriers through individual effort

2. Institutional Inertia

– Success stories used to deny systemic problems

– Reduced pressure for structural change

– Focus on individual solutions rather than collective action

 Moving Beyond the Narrative

As we continue in the work, to create meaningful change, we must:

1. Acknowledge Systemic Issues

– Recognize success stories as exceptions, not the rule

– Study barriers faced by the majority

– Collect and analyze data on women’s experiences at all levels

2. Focus on Structural Solutions

– Implement equitable hiring and promotion practices

– Develop supportive parental policies

– Create mentorship and networking programs

– Address pay equity systematically

– Change workplace culture

3. Share Diverse Stories

– Highlight different paths and definitions of success

– Include stories of collective action and institutional change

– Acknowledge setbacks and challenges openly

– Feature women at all career stages

 

Conclusion

While celebrating successful women in business is important, we must be careful not to let these stories obscure the need for systemic change. True progress requires moving beyond individual excellence narratives to address the structural barriers that hold back the majority of women in business. Only by understanding and addressing these deeper issues can we create genuine opportunities for all women to succeed.