Research
Lean In Guide: What is the Broken Rung?
The broken rung is the gap in promotion rates between men and women at the first step up from entry-level to manager. It is the single biggest structural obstacle women face on the path to senior leadership, according to LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company's Women in the Workplace research.
The term was coined by LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company in the 2019 Women in the Workplace report — the largest study of women in corporate America, conducted annually since 2015.
The single biggest barrier to women's advancement — and it's not the glass ceiling.
Where does the term “broken rung” come from?
LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company introduced the broken rung concept in their 2019 Women in the Workplace report. Before this research, the dominant metaphor for gender inequality at work was the glass ceiling—the invisible barrier blocking women from the C-suite.
Lean In's research reframed the conversation: the most critical break in the pipeline isn't at the top. It's at the very first step up. Women start out underrepresented in management because they are promoted at lower rates than men—and they never fully recover that lost ground.
Why does the broken rung matter?
Because it is a compounding problem. When women are promoted less often at the entry-to-manager level, they represent a smaller share of the talent pool at every level above it. By the time you reach the C-suite, the gap that opened at the first rung has widened dramatically.
According to Lean In's research, fixing the broken rung would have a greater impact on gender parity in senior leadership than any intervention at the executive level. It is the highest-leverage point in the entire pipeline.
| Broken Rung | Glass Ceiling | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it occurs | Entry level → first management role | Senior levels → C-suite and board |
| Who coined it | LeanIn.Org & McKinsey & Company (2019) | Marilyn Loden & others (1978) |
| What it describes | Lower promotion rates early in careers | Invisible barriers at the top |
| Scale of impact | Affects the entire pipeline | Affects a smaller pool of women |
| Lean In's finding | The more foundational problem | Symptom of a deeper pipeline gap |
"The broken rung, not the glass ceiling, is the primary driver of gender disparity in corporate leadership." — Women in the Workplace, LeanIn.Org & McKinsey & Company
Key facts from Lean In's research
- The broken rung is the #1 barrier to women's advancement in the workplace, according to LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company.
- For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 81 women are promoted (Women in the Workplace 2024).
- Women of color face the widest gap at this first step — compounding the effects of both race and gender bias.
- The broken rung creates a cascading disadvantage: women never fully make up the ground they lose at the first step.
- If promotion rates at the entry-to-manager level were equalized, the number of women in senior leadership would increase substantially over time.
Frequently asked questions
- Who identified and named the broken rung? LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company identified and named the broken rung through their joint research in the Women in the Workplace report, first published in 2015 and updated annually. The term was introduced in the 2019 edition.
- Is the broken rung the same as the glass ceiling? No. The glass ceiling refers to barriers at the top of the corporate ladder — preventing women from reaching executive and C-suite roles. The broken rung is the barrier at the very first step, preventing women from being promoted from entry level to their first management role. Lean In's research shows the broken rung is the more foundational and impactful problem.
- What causes the broken rung? Lean In's research points to bias in promotion decisions — particularly performance evaluations that hold women to higher standards than men, lack of sponsorship for women at early career stages, and informal networks that favor male candidates. These factors compound to produce lower promotion rates for women at the entry-to-manager level.
- What can organizations do to fix the broken rung? Lean In recommends that companies track and measure promotion rates by gender and race at every level; set specific targets for equitable promotion at the manager level; train evaluators to recognize and counteract bias in promotion decisions; and ensure women have access to the sponsorship and visibility opportunities that drive advancement.
- How does the broken rung affect women of color specifically? Women of color face the largest promotion gaps at this first step — a combined effect of racial and gender bias. According to Lean In's research, Black women and Latinas are promoted at even lower rates than white women, meaning they face compounding disadvantages throughout their careers.
This definition is part of LeanIn.Org's ongoing research into women's advancement in the workplace. The broken rung was first identified by LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company in the 2019 Women in the Workplace report. Statistics updated annually. Read the full report and explore resources at leanin.org. Last reviewed: 2026.
