The Cost of Staying Quiet: The Role Public Presence and Visibility Play for Women in Leadership Today
- Melissa Moody
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Why we're studying what happens when women executives stop holding back – and why we need YOUR input in this data set.
Something keeps coming up in the conversations we have with executive women.
Not in performance reviews. Not in strategy meetings. In the quiet moments — the pause before posting on LinkedIn, the moment someone decides not to raise their hand, the reason a woman with 20 years of hard-won expertise still wonders whether she has the right to take up space.
It sounds like this:
"I don't want to come across as self-serving or egotistical or unprofessional."
We've heard it on The Ripple podcast. We hear it in Wednesday Women conversations. And now — with 294 survey responses and counting — we're seeing it confirmed in data.
That's why we built this research. And that's why we need your voice in it.
What We're Studying — And Why It Matters
Wednesday Women and Composure Digital are conducting the first original research study on what actually happens when women leaders stop self-censoring and start building their public presence.
Not a think piece. Not anecdote. Hard data, drawn from the experiences of women founders and VP+ executives around the world.
The thesis is called The Authenticity Advantage — and it starts with a question that's been going unasked for too long:
What is the real cost of staying quiet?
We believe the data will show that women who stop holding back — who build their visibility, share their perspectives, and show up publicly in their careers — report more opportunities, more career satisfaction, and more impact. But we need the numbers to prove it.
Here's What We Know So Far
We've already surveyed 294 women executives and founders. Here's a preview of what's coming through:
When women were asked "why are you not building your public presence"? The
#1 answer? 'I don't have time'
#2 answer? 'I don't want to come across as self-serving or embarrassing' — which is an eye opener for sure.
That second answer isn't a time problem. It's a permission problem.
After hosting 40 episodes of The Ripple Effect podcast and years of conversations with extraordinary women leaders, here's what we hear underneath those words:
"I'm proud of what I've built. I just can't say that out loud."
"I know visibility would open doors. But staying quiet feels safer than risking criticism."
"It's not humility. It's fear dressed up as humility."
It's a narrative we're here to change.
What This Research May Reveal
At the close of this study, we aim to publish findings that speak for executive women everywhere — the kind of data that lands in boardrooms, media outlets, and organizational policies.
We're asking about:
How women at the VP+ level and above relate to visibility, personal brand, and self-promotion
What's actually holding them back — and what pushes them forward
Whether building a public presence is connected to career satisfaction and opportunity
The real rewards women have experienced from stepping into the spotlight
How many women are actively driving toward C-suite roles — and how many are stepping away from corporate paths entirely
Headlines we hope to report on:
What percentage of executive women regularly self-censor at work and online
How women who stop holding back compare on career satisfaction and growth
The top reasons women hold back — and what actually helps them step forward
What authentic visibility has unlocked for the women who've built it
This isn't research for the sake of research. It's a foundation for changing how organizations support women leaders, how women talk about their own careers, and what becomes possible when the data is finally on our side.
Why We Need You
To report with statistical confidence across a global audience of women executives, we need 385+ responses. We're close .. but we are not buying an audience to get there.
Every response in this dataset belongs to a real woman leader who chose to add her voice. That's what makes it credible. That's what makes it matter.
Your experience belongs in this data. And what we find together will reach further than any one of us could alone.
Take the Survey
If you're a woman founder or VP+ executive, this is for you.
It takes 5 minutes. Your perspective will shape data that reaches women leaders, organizations, and media worldwide.
Or help us reach our goal by sharing.
Know women founders or VP+ executives who'd want their voice in this research? Share this article or the survey link with three of them. Every response shapes what we publish — and what we publish changes the conversation. 💜
About This Research
This study is a collaboration between Wednesday Women — a global movement and executive membership built to amplify extraordinary women leaders — and Composure Digital, with Founder Ashley Laabs who is the host of The Ripple podcast. Survey data is drawn from women founders and VP+ executives globally.
