Arwa Mahdawi

Women have been taught to 'lean in' and act like men to get ahead. But as the financial, environmental, and social systems crumble, isn't it time we had a different plan? The first two decades of the twenty-first century have seen financial collapse, a global pandemic, the devastation of our environment and the disintegration of democracies. But while some at the top are telling us 'it is what is it', there's a new generation of leaders showing the world how to be better. They're building trust, investing wisely and acting decisively. And they've got one thing in common. In Strong Female Lead, Arwa Mahdawi investigates the qualities demonstrated by female leaders who show us how it's done, including original research and interviews with Madeleine Albright, Mary Robinson, Alicia Garza and many others. Above all, she asks the question: What can women in power teach all of us about leadership?

Strong Female Lead

Katy Watkins

Taking risks is associated with acting in a macho way: riding a motorbike without a helmet, for example, or betting lots of money on a football game. The researchers found that when you ask people how likely they are to engage in risky behaviour that isn't so associated with masculinity (e.g. confronting someone about sexism; going horseriding) then women can be just as risk-taking as men, or even more so. ‘We've been overlooking female risk-taking because our measures have been biased,’ the study noted.

However, real leadership isn't about being the loudest voice in the room, it's about being secure enough in yourself to pass the mic to others. Real leadership isn't about taking up space, it's about knowing when to yield it.

Strong Female Lead quotes

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