Women aren’t better leaders. Men aren’t either
Just the other day, I heard a familiar narrative: “Women make better leaders.”
The reasons often cited?
Empathy. Organisation. Being people-centric. Results-driven.
And while these are powerful leadership qualities… I don’t think they belong to any one gender.
I’ve seen men lead with deep empathy. I’ve seen women lead with incredible decisiveness. And I’ve also seen the opposite on both sides.
Leadership, at its core, is not about gender.
It reminds me of ten pin bowling.
When you step onto the lane, there’s no advantage for being male or female:
Same lane.
Same pins.
Same opportunity to perform.
What matters is your skill, your consistency and your mindset.
Leadership is the same.
Empathy is a skill.
Clarity is a skill.
Courage is a skill.
Accountability is a skill.
Etc.
And here’s the good news:
Skills can be learned, developed, and practiced by anyone willing to do the work.
When we start attributing leadership excellence to gender, we risk oversimplifying something deeply human.
The real question isn’t:
“Who makes the better leader?”
But rather:
“What makes a leader effective?”
And more importantly…
“Am I committed to becoming one?”
Contributor: Kausern Hieu