Historically, any discussion about empowering women leaders has a prevailing notion that women need to adopt traditionally masculine traits – assertiveness, aggression, and unwavering confidence - to command respect and influence.
The reality of being in a boardroom as a female during my career brought with it the feeling that I needed to speak the loudest to make myself heard, and I felt pressure to be aggressive during my years climbing the corporate ladder. Thankfully the needle has moved in recent years, but still it can be hard to be authentically female in the corporate world.
“We don’t need to imitate to dominate; we need to be authentically and unapologetically ourselves, watching as we inspire others to do the same.”
However, the essence of leadership doesn’t lie in gendered attributes but in universal qualities like integrity, vision, empathy, and resilience.
These are not inherently male or female traits; they are human traits, essential for anyone aspiring to lead effectively. The linchpin of effective leadership is authenticity, which has nothing to do with gender.
Leaders who embrace their authentic selves, with a leadership style that reflects their true personality and values, benefit from more genuine and productive interactions with their teams.
Nevertheless, the journey to authenticity is fraught with challenges.
Women often face stereotypes and biases that can undermine their authority and question their capability. The pressure to conform to traditional leadership models—decisive, aggressive, unyielding—can be intense.
But mimicking these attributes can lead to a mismatch between a leader’s true self and the persona they project, creating a barrier to genuine connection with others and, ultimately, to effective leadership.
Showing vulnerability as a leader is a great way to create connection with team members and peers, yet this is often frowned upon as weakness.
“We don't need to pretend to be something we're not in order to succeed; we just need to be true to ourselves.”
We need to stop looking at how women can adapt to the existing leadership mould, focusing instead on how leadership models can evolve to accommodate diverse leadership styles.
The goal should not be for women to become more like men but for all leaders to be more authentically themselves. This shift not only empowers female leaders but also enriches the leadership landscape with a diversity of perspectives, approaches, and solutions.
In a landscape where diversity and inclusion are increasingly recognised as drivers of organisational success, such an approach seems inherently progressive and relevant.
Authentic leadership fosters trust, inspires loyalty, and encourages innovation. It allows leaders to be true to themselves while aligning with their organisation’s values and objectives.
For women, this means leading in a way that feels natural and sustainable, without succumbing to the pressure to conform to a preconceived notion of what a leader should look like.
So let’s redefine the narrative. Authenticity is a strength, not a weakness. Be strong and assertive, by all means. Be bold, unapologetic, and unafraid to carve your own path in a world that often seeks to confine us.
But do it authentically, your way, rather than because you believe it’s expected of you, and reap the benefits in both your leadership role, and your wider life.
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