When Women Lead: The Power of the Assist

I’m writing this in 2025 while watching the Indiana Fever in the playoffs. It’s been thrilling and inspiring! Teams win when someone takes the shot and when someone makes the extra pass. An assist is an act of vision and trust: read the floor and thread the pass, so a teammate can score. If you only count points, you miss the players who made the basket possible.

Leadership works the same way. Some days you’re the one with the ball and the clock. Other days you’re the playmaker, clearing the lane, so another woman can take the shot she’s earned. Both win games. Both build legacies.

Women’s leadership isn’t only about taking the shot; it’s also about setting up the shot. It’s about setting the screen, calling the play, and feeding the pass that lets another woman shine. Not all impact is points. In basketball, screens, rebounds, and assists change games. In leadership, sponsorship, amplification, and credit-sharing change careers.

A great point guard reads the floor, sets tempo, and decides when to drive and when to pass. Women leaders do the same. Leadership is choosing the highest-percentage play for the team, which means sometimes you shoot and sometimes you’re the playmaker.

As a leader, how can you be a playmaker and make the assist?

• Say her name in the room and recommend her for the opportunity.
• Open doors and put her in the lineup (not only the roster) by inviting her to client meetings and the decision table.
• Transfer credibility by lending your network and reputation with a clear, specific endorsement.
• Protect the lane by dismantling bias and give the floor back when she’s interrupted.

This season, the Fever team has demonstrated to us time and time again that success happens when leaders are agile and share their roles. And that The Assist is a game-winning strategy

During this season of leading, I’m committed to both scoring and assisting. Leading out front and lifting as I climb. This month I will take time to thank the women who assisted me, and to sponsor one woman into a room she’s earned.

Who made the pass for you? Who will you assist next?