Turningpoint Reinventing leadership: what women bring to the table

Increasing the representation of women in leadership roles is not only a question of equity, it is also a key lever for organizational performance, as consistently confirmed by numerous serious studies. Organizations with a balanced representation of women and men in their leadership teams tend to be more profitable.

With more women in leadership, power itself begins to shift.
In a world that is unstable, complex, and ever-changing, women leaders often excel in communication, adaptability, and decision-making. Why is that? Perhaps because they are more likely to embody transformational leadership, a style grounded in active listening, emotional intelligence, inclusion, and empowering others. These are now essential skills in collaborative and innovative organizations.

So, is there really such a thing as ‘female’ and ‘male’ leadership?
Not exactly. There are women leaders and men leaders, each leading with who they truly are: their talents, experiences, doubts, energy, emotions and their bodies, with all their rhythms and vulnerabilities.

Yet as long as leadership remains unconsciously associated with traits perceived as masculine; authority, cold rationality, dominance – women will remain underrepresented. Still held back by unconscious bias and systemic organizational and societal barriers, their path to leadership roles is often an uphill climb.
But this paradigm needs to shift.

Aspiration: a game-changer
Beyond these tangible obstacles lies another, more personal challenge: the question of aspiration. Too often, women don’t give themselves permission to want to lead, not because they aren’t capable, but because their ambition to lead is uncertain, cautious, or quietly suppressed. Fear of being judged. Fear of betraying oneself. Fear of being “too much” or “not enough”.

But meaningful leadership cannot exist without clear intention, without an ambition that starts with a choice: a decision to spark change, at a given moment, in a particular context. And that aspiration must be nurtured.

Some women feel a deep pull toward leadership but don’t yet dare to name it. They’re waiting to “feel ready”, to “tick every box”, to “earn their place”. They’re searching for legitimacy, but no one will hand it to them. That aspiration must be strengthened, claimed, made visible, without apology.

And then there are those, women and men alike, who don’t want to be leaders, at least not in the way leadership is traditionally defined; rigid, self-sacrificing, disconnected from who they are. They should be free to say no without guilt, acknowledging that power is not the only form of contribution or success.

In both cases, what matters is owning the choice, freely and consciously.
Because it’s not the title that makes a leader.
It’s the intention, the inner grounding, the alignment with oneself.

A challenge: changing the lens.
On themselves. On their role models. On their internal barriers.
On the imposter syndrome, something men also experience but often express differently. Where some may at times compensate through competition or overperformance, others still doubt themselves in silence.

It’s time to make room for a different way of leading.
One that is more human, more holistic, more self-aware.
Not a new leadership trend.
But a necessary adjustment to reality.