This is a really interesting question. Part of me wonders should we actually just remove the word ‘female’ and make the question: “What makes a good leader?” because I think the answers might actually be the same.

However, I run an online women’s leadership platform. So, I am exposed to some of the behaviours of female leaders in a bit more depth. This leads me to write from that experience combined with my own personal beliefs about what makes a good leader, and leadership in general.

Let’s start with what is a leader?

In my opinion, a leader is someone who has a vision of any description, has the courage to take action on making that vision come to life, and communicates it so that other people want to buy in and help fulfill that vision.

In this context of asking What makes a good female leader, does it matter if you are a female or male leader?

No. From my perspective, the idea of a leader is still the same.

So I did some research (google) on why women make better leaders than men.

Here is what other people believe makes a good female leader:

“Female leaders are more likely to attend to others’ personal needs, be open to new ideas and opinions and reward the satisfactory performance of followers in a consistent manner” (Read the full article here)  

 I actually have no real comments for that above statement, other than what a load of c$!p. Men have just the same abilities. 

Let’s move on.

The enlightening Forbes has an article that states data and research have shown that women outperform men on leadership characteristics such as, self-awareness, social skills, emotional intelligence, humility, and kindness to name a few.  (Read the full article here)

Why is this so? The most common answer is that these leadership traits are hard-wired into women so, therefore, show up as a natural characteristic for female leaders.

However, they can also be developed in any gender. We just need to be aware. And this is the biggest tip I can give for you to be a good female leader –  actually a good leader in general: 

Be aware.

Be self-aware. Understand your environment. Know the impact you have on others. Be aware of your thoughts, of how you show up.

Just be more aware. Get your head out of the sand, have some courage to ask for feedback, and surround yourself with others who will be honest and then help you grow and develop.

This is why Her Leadership Journey exists. To provide this safe place for you to come and get support, to grow, to learn new leadership skills, to share your experiences with others, and to learn from others perspectives and experiences.

To sum it up, the answer to what makes a good female leader is exactly the same as what makes a good leader:

Awareness is your first step.

About the author:

Passionate about creating authentic and courageous leaders, Emma is an award-winning entrepreneur and founder of Her Leadership Journey – an online platform for women in management and leadership. 

She brings a unique combination of formal study and her own less than desirable experiences in the workplace to inspire leaders to own their ambitions, to increase their visibility and leave a lasting impact on those they serve. 

She’s curious, asks loads of questions (and expects an answer most of the time 😊) and will push you to believe in yourself like you’ve never done before.