Looking for Advice from Women Leaders

I’m looking for candid advice, especially from women in leadership. How likely is it for a woman to successfully be in a leadership position, for example a COO? I know there are examples of it, but what's the average experience?

My story for context: I’m a 34 year-old woman in Australia, no kids. I’m a strategist and experience designer with nearly a decade experience in a US-based tech company, a funded startup, and a national corporate. I’ve built teams, designed brands, launched products, and set up operational rhythms.

I’ve been working towards and want to be in a leadership position. I’m strategic, sensitive, dedicated, and a natural leader. I care deeply about workplace culture, and had a lot of success when I was 2nd-in-charge at the funded startup.

However, I’ve struggled to be taken seriously by those above me. For example:

- discovering I was being paid less than my peers despite working much harder,

- getting asked a lot about my ‘life plans’ when talking about future projects,

- working in a strategic position and being asked to take over a junior project, or

- getting inappropriate comments. Things that are hard to respond to or derail your presentation, like “Oh, you like pastries? You should try this local baker. In fact I’ll take you, the croissant will give you an orgasm” in front of the leadership team or “mid-30s? Really? I thought you were so junior!”

So now I’m looking at what’s next and ask myself: what’s the likelihood of me actually getting and succeeding as a COO or senior leader? I’m being offered some more executional and consulting roles which might be less strategically fulfilling, but I’ll have decent pay and work hours that might be more accommodating if I did want to try and start a family.

What I really want is a leadership role, but I’m wondering if that’s possible.