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🎧 The Leadership Ladder Problem Nobody’s Talking About
Podcast Leadership / PodCast / Feb 22, 2026 / Posted by Christine Sandman Stone / 1

🎧 The Leadership Ladder Problem Nobody’s Talking About

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Management has a missing step problem. For every 100 men promoted into leadership roles, only 87 women make the same climb—and even fewer people of color advance.

Christine Sandman Stone calls these “broken rungs,” and they’re costing organizations their best talent. After 35 years transforming companies like Dell and McDonald’s, she knows the fix starts with transparency.

Audit your promotion data. Build real mentorship programs with executive sponsorship. Make advancement criteria crystal clear. The solution isn’t complicated—it just requires intentional action.

Because here’s the truth: diverse leadership teams don’t just check boxes. They innovate faster, solve problems better, and build stronger organizations. The companies winning today are the ones repairing their broken rungs.

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About Author

Christine Sandman Stone is a transformational leader, author, and pragmatic strategist who specializes in building high-performing technology organizations. With over 35 years of experience at global giants like McDonald’s, Dell, and Volkswagen, Christine founded Deliver at Scale to help companies navigate the "broken rungs" of management. She is widely recognized for her ability to "create something from nothing" and rescue projects in crisis, all while maintaining a deep commitment to work-life integration and diversity in tech. Based in Chicago, she mentors hundreds of professionals, bridging the gap between technical execution and organizational behavior.

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About Author

Christine Sandman Stone is a transformational leader, author, and pragmatic strategist who specializes in building high-performing technology organizations. With over 35 years of experience at global giants like McDonald’s, Dell, and Volkswagen, Christine founded Deliver at Scale to help companies navigate the "broken rungs" of management. She is widely recognized for her ability to "create something from nothing" and rescue projects in crisis, all while maintaining a deep commitment to work-life integration and diversity in tech. Based in Chicago, she mentors hundreds of professionals, bridging the gap between technical execution and organizational behavior.

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