Fast Company 's recent article struck a nerve with me. It highlighted that more
By Laura Meyer · June 12, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
Fast Company's recent article struck a nerve with me. It highlighted that more than 455,000 women left the workforce last year, with nearly half citing caregiving responsibilities as a contributing factor.
What stood out most was that the 100+ women interviewed weren't struggling because they lacked ambition. They were struggling because many workplace structures still assume someone else is handling the caregiving.
I sometimes joke that I "retired" my husband from Wall Street, but there's a serious point behind it. Harvard Business School found that nearly 60% of male executives have a stay-at-home spouse, compared to just 10% of female executives. Many leadership structures were built around the assumption that someone else was handling responsibilities at home.
For many women in senior leadership roles, that simply isn't the reality.
The talented women leaving Corporate America aren't doing so because they need another productivity hack or because they haven't figured out how to better manage their calendars. They're leaving because the expectations placed on leaders haven't evolved as quickly as the workforce itself.
And that's a loss for everyone.
At Envision Horizons, we've intentionally built a family- first culture because I've never believed people should have to choose between being exceptional at work and being present for the people who matter most to them. Some of our strongest leaders are parents, and many of the skills that make someone a great parent (prioritization, empathy, resilience, and adaptability) also make them exceptional leaders.
The organizations that will win over the next decade will be the ones that recognize people don't stop being parents, caregivers, spouses, or humans when they log into work. The goal shouldn't be helping people choose between career success and family. It should be building companies where they don't have to.
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