When I run leadership workshops for women in business, I still open with one question: what lasting leadership legacy do you want to leave? I ask delegates to imagine a plaque on the wall at the end of their career and to write what they would like it to say about their contribution.

On one memorable occasion, a female director who had already said she wanted to become Managing Director announced that her plaque would read, “She was a really nice person, liked by everyone.”

It was meant warmly, but it worried me. Being liked is not a weakness, yet as a leadership legacy it is fragile. It suggests popularity rather than impact, teamwork rather than vision, and a career remembered for manners rather than results. For a woman aiming for the top table, it is also a reminder of how easily female leaders can be pigeonholed as supportive rather than strategic.

UK leadership landscape in 2024

That matters in the UK. Progress is real: the FTSE Women Leaders Review 2024 reported that women hold 42.6% of FTSE 100 board seats and 32.9% of FTSE 350 leadership roles. Yet only a small number of women lead FTSE 100 companies, and the pipeline to the chief executive role remains narrow. The picture among smaller companies is also mixed; our own analysis notes that female CEOs in the UK mid-market hit an eight-year low in 2026.

The economic case is just as stark. The 2024 Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship found that women-led businesses now account for one in five UK companies and contribute an estimated £85 billion to the economy. Closing the entrepreneurship gender gap could add up to £250 billion more. A “nice person” plaque will not close that gap. Lasting legacies are built by people who challenge the status quo, make difficult decisions, develop others and dare to be visible. You can read more about whether government targets are delivering in our Rose Review progress check.

So what would your plaque say? If you continue your career for the next ten or twenty years, what contribution do you want to be known for? Take a moment to write it down. Putting it on paper makes it tangible, and once it is tangible you can start planning towards it.

Now identify what might stop you. The blockers are usually internal rather than external, and the two I see most often are aversion to risk and lack of confidence. Here is how to tackle them.

1. Aversion to risk

Ambition and risk go together. Promoting yourself, pitching for investment, hiring your first employee, entering a new market or applying for a board role all involve uncertainty. For women in business, the stakes can feel higher because access to finance and networks is still not equal. The British Business Bank has repeatedly found, including in its 2024 Small Business Finance Markets report, that women founders receive disproportionately less equity investment than male-led firms, which can make caution feel sensible.

But caution can become paralysis. The answer is not reckless risk-taking; it is calculated risk. Start by listing the risks you are considering and rating them honestly: which keep you awake, and which are simply unfamiliar? Many risks are smaller than they feel. You take calculated risks every time you drive, sign a contract or launch a product.

How to take calculated risks

• Reduce the risk where you can. Research the market, seek advice, run a pilot, set clear milestones and build a financial buffer.
• Focus on the upside. What will this risk make possible? Rehearse that outcome until it feels as real as the fear.
• Build your risk muscle gradually. Take small, manageable risks first, review what happens, then stretch further. If a step feels too big, scale back and build up again.

Confidence in risk-taking is a habit, not a personality trait. If you are considering external finance, our guide to new British Business Bank funding rules for women founders explains what has changed.

2. Lack of confidence and imposter syndrome

If you have ever sat in a boardroom or car thinking, “I’m going to be found out,” you are not alone. A 2020 KPMG study found that 75% of female executives have experienced imposter syndrome at some point in their careers. Among UK entrepreneurs, the feeling is just as common: building a business from scratch often means learning in public, which can amplify self-doubt.

Our internal dialogue shapes our behaviour. When most of that dialogue is critical, we start to believe the criticism. The first step is to notice it. Treat negative self-talk as data, not truth. Would you say those things to a colleague? If not, do not say them to yourself.

How to build evidence-based confidence

• Keep a record of your wins. Positive client feedback, a successful pitch, a difficult conversation handled well, a team member you helped to grow. Evidence is the antidote to imposter syndrome.
• Surround yourself with advocates. A mentor, a peer group or a non-executive director can remind you of your track record. Sponsorship is particularly powerful for women, because other people’s advocacy often opens doors that self-belief alone cannot.
• Act before you feel ready. Confidence is not about being the loudest voice in the room. It is about trusting your preparation, owning your expertise and being willing to move anyway.

If visibility is part of your legacy plan, our article on stepping into the spotlight as a UK woman in business offers practical ways to raise your profile without feeling inauthentic.

Turn your lasting leadership legacy into action

A leadership legacy is not something that happens by accident. It is the cumulative effect of the risks you take, the decisions you make and the people you develop along the way. It is also a choice: to be remembered for impact, not just likeability.

Start with three concrete steps this week. First, write your plaque in one sentence and pin it where you will see it. Second, name the single biggest blocker, whether it is risk aversion or confidence, and choose one small experiment to address it. Third, find one person who can act as a sounding board or sponsor, whether through a formal programme or a women in business network.

The Prowess community has supported women in business since 2001. If you are willing to share your aim, leave a comment below. We would love to cheer you on, and you may inspire another woman to claim her own lasting leadership legacy too.