Rethinking business | We need to welcome 'femininity' into leadership

The recent hit Barbie film brought a lot of interesting discourse into the public sphere.

A monologue which involved America Ferreira’s character speaking candidly about the nature of being a woman hit a raw nerve for many across the world. This ‘paradox’ being the societal pressure for women to be paradoxical entities; confident but not a show-off, thin but not too skinny, to be a ‘girl boss’ but not too bossy.

Paradoxes have characterised the female experience for decades, and this is made more complex when translated to the pressures of being a female leader. For example, studies show that women are less likely than men to apply to job roles where they don’t fit every criterion in a job description. Professional women are also more likely to have imposter syndrome and alter their communication style to appear more enthusiastic or accommodating in emails.

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Much of this paradox in the professional world also comes from the fact that the business sphere has historically embraced ‘masculine’ over ‘feminine’ characteristics, including qualities such as assertiveness, competitiveness, and an affinity to take risks.