Do women lead better in moments of crisis?

Covid-19 has made gender in leadership visible in unprecedented ways. During the last few months, leaders across the world, both in business and politics have been put on a real-time leadership test. They have had to act and respond to impatient and often distressed audiences. In this test, the stellar performance of female leaders cannot be ignored.

Some women heads of state have had the spotlight shone on them globally, for it seems that they are doing something different, and it is working. The world then became curious, what is it that these leaders are doing differently? And whatever it is they are doing, is it simply because they are women, or are there other explanations?

Jacinda Arden, the prime minister of New Zealand is one of the female heads of governments who have had the spotlight shone on them during this pandemic. One commentary said: “meet Jacinda Arden, the first woman to have dealt with a major terrorist attack, a deadly volcanic eruption, and a pandemic, all in her first term of office; all while holding a baby”.

My immediate reaction was, what does having a baby have to do with anything? Would a male leader have said the same about having a baby and dealing with difficulties? But this thinking is exactly because of the historical description of leadership that has taken deep roots in our subconscious minds. Leadership descriptions have typically been masculine, and that is what we have known for a long time. Descriptions such as strong, assertive, dominant, powerful; or matters of national policy such as national security, and war.

Having a woman head of state talk about her office and motherly duties is clearly new to most minds. We are used to women having to pick one or the other: to become a mother or a political leader – as if these were mutually exclusive achievements, and when they do both, we call them superwomen. In fact, there is no such thing as superwomen – just women, and men, both capable of doing extraordinary things.

We have to get to a point where women no longer have to say “I can do the job and be a mother”. Clearly, there is going to be a steep unlearning and relearning ground to cover. In the meantime, we have and need more Jacinda Arden’s to continue reminding everyone that it is possible, until it sticks and becomes the rule rather than the exception.

In an interview, Jacinda Arden commented, “we teach kindness and empathy and compassion to our children, but then we somehow when it comes to political leadership want a complete absence of that”. So, I am trying to chart a different path, that will attract critics. But I can only be true to myself and the form of leadership that I believe in”

Indeed, any female leader who will charter this new path will not lack criticism, but her true north will be to believe in something and to have the courage to embody those beliefs. For everyone else, it is important to remember that an openness of mind is an essential quality of the 21st century. The dogmatic about outdated norms and cultures will eventually be fighting against a concrete wall.

The tales we hear of strong female leaders succeeding in different crises could lead to a change in the whole narrative of what a strong leader looks like. Indeed, it is possible for a leader to be strong and powerful while being authentic and empathetic at the same time. In short, as far as leadership is concerned, authentic, empathetic, and kind leadership are the ‘new kids on the block’ who must be embraced by both men and women.

This article was originally published by The Citizen Tanzania