

Darja Kragt
Director
WHY COMMIT TO GENDER EQUITY?
As the director of The Leading Lab, I am thrilled to announce our commitment to joining CEOs for Gender Equity. My journey as a leadership development researcher and practitioner has been shaped by the numerous barriers and challenges that women face in accessing and excelling in leadership roles. These experiences, including the bias against female leaders that I've personally encountered, have fueled my conviction that everyone, regardless of their gender or other characteristics, has the potential to be a leader. This personal journey is what led me to found The Leading Lab and to join CEOs for Gender Equity (CGE).
At The Leading Lab, we are passionate about creating an environment where every individual can thrive and reach their full potential, no matter their gender. By partnering with CGE, I hope to drive significant change in our industry and beyond, making leadership opportunities accessible to all. Supporting gender diversity isn’t just a business strategy—it’s the right thing to do. Research has repeatedly shown that having more women, especially in leadership roles, positively impacts business results and employee experiences. The benefits to the bottom line are clear and substantial. More importantly, gender diversity benefits everyone. By fostering gender diversity in our workplaces, we build more inclusive and compassionate environments where everyone can succeed. This kind of culture also attracts top talent who appreciate and contribute to a diverse workplace.
At The Leading Lab, we design and deliver comprehensive, research-based leadership development programs that offer growth opportunities to everyone. We support organisations with leadership assessments, training design and delivery, coaching, and program evaluations. We’ve been a proud toolkit partner with CGE for over a year, offering solutions to tackle unconscious bias and implicit leadership beliefs.
Our partnerships with various organisations have helped advance leaders at all stages of their journeys, promoting more equitable workplace cultures. Our efforts have been instrumental in changing deeply ingrained stereotypes and assumptions that often limit women’s advancement. We’ve seen outstanding results from our gender-inclusive programs, successfully eliminating female leadership bias. Our initiatives have empowered many women—and men—to confidently step into leadership roles, breaking down barriers and paving the way for future leaders. These efforts have led to noticeable shifts in organisational cultures, making them more supportive and inclusive.
Looking ahead, I remain committed to promoting gender equity through our inclusive leadership development programs and CGE toolkit offerings. I am excited to trial new solutions with other CGE members and to support their organisations in advancing gender equity. By collaborating with other CGE member organisations and advocating for gender equity in the broader community, I aim to create lasting change.
