According to a report published in February 2025, just one in six board positions in AIM-listed companies (smaller companies who do not qualify for the London Stock Exchange) are filled by women - a number that hasn’t changed in over a year. Meanwhile, the number of all-male boards in this group has increased, with 38% having no female directors at all.
While the reason behind this may be nuanced, having diverse boards is valuable for many different factors. Experience and expertise matter, but there are also other important aspects that aren't tied to gender.
The corporate gender tightrope
Where women are on the board, reports suggest that they often change behaviours and make use of adaptive techniques to avoid being labelled as ‘cold’ or ‘incompetent’ while trying to get their voices heard and points across. Harvard Business Review recently published an article titled How Women on Boards Navigate the “Warmth-Competence” Line - an overview of research into how women directors in the U.S. balance on the tightrope of appearing competent yet warm in order to have their opinions considered.
The research identified six common tactics used to help women achieve specific aims with less backlash. These tactics - which fall on a spectrum from warm (presenting stereotypical feminine traits such as softness and empathy) to competent (using stereotypical masculine traits such as directness) - include asking, connecting, asserting, qualifying, waiting, and checking. While some of the tactics fall closer to the warmth end of the spectrum and others closer to the competence end, what they all have in common is they require women to balance on a corporate tightrope and adapt to gendered expectations.
The result? Burnout, a resistance to accept board positions, and an increased turnover among women in senior positions - all of which perpetuates gender inequality on boards. So, what is the answer?
Understanding cognitive diversity
One approach for organisations and leadership teams to consider is the importance of cognitive diversity around the decision-making table. Often not fully understood, assessed or leveraged in the workplace, cognitive diversity in regard to problem solving style isn’t related to gender, it’s innate and measurable, and can be incredibly powerful when harnessed effectively.
The value of having diverse ideas and approaches to tackling complex issues can foster greater agility and creativity, but it requires understanding, and management and team leadership skills. There are a variety of simple and accessible tools that can help with this.
For example, the KAI inventory suggests that individuals have natural preferences for the ways in which they generate ideas, utilise different structures to implement those ideas, and respond to rules and group norms. This theory describes a range from adaptive to innovative people. Adaptive individuals prefer clear rules and structure, while innovative ones are more likely to ignore or change the rules to stay engaged.
Leveraging cognitive diversity
Our cognitive problem-solving style is not tied to things like gender, age, race, experience, education, or intelligence. In a team like a board, understanding and using different cognitive styles can bring in more perspectives and help tackle a wider range of issues.
On the other hand, if a board’s work is very technical or focused, it might benefit from members who think in similar ways. When the team’s style matches the type of problem - whether it needs more structure or more creativity - solutions can come faster and go deeper.
While many boards determine their make-up based on professional position, corporate affiliation, years of service, or other external factors such as location, it is also valuable for them to consider the approach their members have to solving the work in front of them.
Dividing tasks based on how people solve problems could be a more effective way to manage change. It can also help move beyond gender differences, eliminating the corporate gender tightrope and allowing both men and women to better understand each other's perspectives and approaches.
Effective board leaders maximise the output of their members, elevating the product and quality of work above the person themselves. This may be difficult to do, as personal relationships and positional power need to be navigated, but fostering a board culture that values the way in which individuals approach the work, regardless of who they are or their experience, is a step towards a better balance.
When cognitive diversity is understood and accounted for, there is less stress in working together and completing tasks. It becomes about the approach, rather than the person. At board level, understanding and using different problem-solving styles can promote open communication, feedback, and recognition for both men and women.
A board culture that values how members generate ideas is invaluable. Managing this well is indicative of highly functioning boards, they can find a better balance in their composition and approach to tasks, and the corporate tightrope can become a thing of the past.
