What was missing?

AstraZeneca recognised that it had exceptional female talent across the business. Many women were already operating in high-performance technical roles, holding significant expertise and contributing to complex scientific and organisational outcomes. 

However, as leadership expectations increased, many were finding the transition from expert to leader difficult to navigate. 

Participants were often managing: 

• High-pressure technical roles 
• Increasing leadership responsibility 
• The need to influence beyond their direct remit 
• Complex stakeholder environments 
• Greater visibility at senior levels 
• The challenge of leading without always having formal authority 

Alongside this, several consistent themes were emerging. Some participants were experiencing imposter syndrome, underestimating their own capability or lacking clarity around their leadership identity. Others had strong technical expertise, but needed to strengthen their confidence, communication, managerial skills and presence when operating at more senior levels. 

The opportunity was not simply to provide leadership development. 

It was to unlock capability that already existed, build confidence at scale and help women see themselves as credible, visible and effective leaders. 

What was the Solution?

Actuate designed a long-term global leadership development programme that addressed both capability and belief. 

The Women as Leaders programme was built around the understanding that many participants already had the ability to lead effectively. The challenge was helping them recognise, own and apply their capability with greater confidence and consistency. 

The programme combined behavioural insight, self-awareness, coaching-led learning and practical leadership development. It was designed to be personal, relevant and grounded in the real experiences participants were facing every day. 

Core areas of focus included: 

• Understanding self and leadership identity 
• Building confidence and overcoming imposter syndrome 
• Strengthening communication and influence 
• Developing managerial capability 
• Leading without authority 
• Navigating complex stakeholder relationships 
• Transitioning from technical expert to leader 
• Operating with clarity, presence and impact 

The Women as Leaders programme supported participants to develop leadership skills while also redefining how they saw themselves as leaders. 

How did we make it happen?

The project began with a deep understanding of AstraZeneca's needs and current system of work and leadership progression.  

Using diagnostic discovery sessions, behavioural insight and structured reflection, Actuate established a baseline across the participant population. This explored how individuals saw themselves, how they operated under pressure, where confidence dropped and where capability existed but was not yet being fully used. 

This insight allowed Actuate to move beyond generic leadership development and create a programme that was tailored to the needs of AstraZeneca’s female talent population. 

Over five years, the programme brought together: 

• Leadership development workshops 
• Coaching-led learning environments 
• Psychometric insight and self-awareness development 
• Practical application in live roles 
• Confidence and identity work 
• Managerial and leadership skill-building 
• Peer learning and global cohort engagement 

A critical part of the programme was addressing the gap between existing capability and perceived capability. 

Through coaching, reflection and structured development, participants were encouraged to recognise their strengths, challenge limiting beliefs and practise new leadership behaviours in a safe, supportive environment. 

This helped participants move from knowing they had potential to actively stepping into leadership with more confidence, clarity and authority. 

The programme was delivered globally, reaching more than 1,000 women across multiple regions, functions and leadership levels. It created a consistent leadership development experience while remaining personal and relevant to each participant. 

The Result

The impact of the programme was felt at both an individual and organisational level. 

Participants reported increased confidence, stronger communication and influence, greater clarity in their leadership identity and improved ability to manage and lead others. Many also experienced a reduction in imposter syndrome and an increased willingness to step forward into leadership opportunities. 

The programme helped participants: 

• Recognise and own their strengths 
• Build confidence in decision-making 
• Communicate with greater authority 
• Lead with more clarity and presence 
• Challenge limiting beliefs 
• Step into leadership roles more assertively 
• Influence beyond their immediate role or function 

At an organisational level, the programme contributed to a stronger and more visible female leadership population across AstraZeneca. 

It supported: 

• Stronger female leadership capability 
• Increased leadership consistency 
• Improved talent progression 
• Greater engagement across cohorts 
• A clearer and more confident leadership pipeline 

Notably, 87% of participants completed the programme, reflecting both the relevance of the experience and the value participants placed on their development.