The Impact of Female Leadership: Theories, Traits & Tools

UN Women has proclaimed that one major hurdle that needs to be overcome in order to achieve gender equality is "lack of women in leadership" (2023).

Leadership has long been associated with masculinity, with men being perceived as more effective leaders, even by women (Biddle, 2018).

More resilient and effective workplaces and societies necessitate a better balance between traditionally masculine and feminine leadership traits. So, what are those feminine leadership traits? And what is 'feminist leadership'? What are other relevant leadership theories that need to be considered? And what tools can woman use to become the very best leaders they can be, with organisations adapting to facilitate such?

The 2024 World Economic Forum 'Global Gender Gap Report' has confirmed:

1. The global gender gap in 2024 is 68.5% meaning 31.5% of the gap remains unaddressed.
2. At the current rate, it will take 134 years to reach gender parity globally.
3. Women account for less than a quarter of C-suite roles globally - and this has dropped to 36.4% of 'leadership' roles globally, from 37.5% in 2023.
4. According to LinkedIn data - men have not only larger, but stronger networks than women online.
5. There is a gender gap in perceived opportunities to acquire the skills of the future.

Let's support breaking down systemic inequalities together.

About our Guest Speaker, Phoebe Waters:

Two-time winner of Management Today's 35 Women Under 35 (and now an Awards Judge), she is an Assessor at the University of Cambridge's Institute of Sustainability Leadership (CISL) (on a course called 'Women Leading Change: Shaping Our Future' and a course called 'Cambridge Leading Sustainability: High Impact Leadership'). She is a Visiting Lecturer elsewhere on the foundations of gender equality.
Her professional background is as a corporate investigator, specialising in asset recovery and enforcement. As part of being deeply embedded in this industry, she was the Chair of the Board of a non-for-profit organisation (the Female Fraud Forum), serving on the committee for four years in total, through which she spearheaded the support and encouragement for the advancement of women. Phoebe led the development of the FFF’s global reputation - to be known as forging the way in gender equality in the legal and investigations world.
Phoebe, who also built her career in firms such as Burford Capital and Goldman Sachs, is a Judge and Advisory Board Member of the Women and Diversity in Law Awards, a Judge of the UK's Economic Crime Awards, and, for the second year running, a United Nations delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67 and CSW68).
Phoebe is a Mentor at One Million Mentors, a non-for-profit focused on transforming society by connecting young people with opportunities.
Phoebe is the Vice Chair and Founding Board Member of Project UpLIFT, a non-for-profit forum that provides support, networking, advocacy and mentoring for LGBTQI+ and allies working in disputes in the legal, investigations and forensic fields. Project UpLIFT seeks to foster an environment that challenges prejudice, educates employers, and promotes personal and career development in a diverse international space.
She is also Co-Founder of London’s ‘The Female City Supper Club’ and is a member of the Aspen Rising Leaders Fellowship.

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