Feminine Energy in Leadership: The Secret to Smarter, More Innovative Teams

What if true leadership isn’t what we’ve always believed?

For most of my life, I believed leadership meant being tough, assertive, and always having the answers.

As a woman working in tech, I never viewed my gender as a disadvantage.

But subconsciously, I spent my career imitating men, because their style seemed like the only path to success.

Growing up, I played football with boys, dressed like a boy, and hung out in their circles. I felt comfortable there, adapting my personality to fit in.

Later, as an engineer in the tech industry, I continued that habit. I admired male leaders and adopted their decisive, confident approach. I thought being a good leader meant always knowing exactly what to do next.

But something changed in 2015.

I was offered a role as a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) director at Outotec. I took the role and moved to Finland to work under Pia—the most inspiring boss I’ve ever had, who also happened to be a woman.

Pia was different from any leader I’d work with before.

She listened deeply and asked powerful questions.

Her leadership style wasn’t about having all the answers—it was about creating space for others to find their own.

Working with Pia changed my entire outlook on leadership.

The Power of Feminine Energy in Leadership

What Pia brought into my life—and what completely shifted my leadership style—was the power of feminine energy.

Every person—regardless of gender—has a blend of masculine and feminine energies.

Masculine energy is assertive, decisive, structured, action-driven, and confident. It provides clarity, direction, and security.

Feminine energy is empathetic, curious, supportive, collaborative, and reflective. It emphasizes deep listening, meaningful questions, psychological safety, and emotional intelligence.

Both energies are necessary for balanced leadership, but historically, workplaces have heavily favored masculine traits.

Femenine Energy in Leadership: Why Teams need more of it

I always thought leadership meant always having the answers.

Strength, I believed, came from decisiveness, control, and projecting confidence—even when I wasn’t sure.

But over time, I realized that the best leaders don’t just give answers: they ask more questions.

They listen.

They create environments where others feel safe to contribute.

Teams that incorporate feminine energy thrive because:

• People feel heard, valued, and understood.
• Collaboration naturally improves, boosting creativity.
• People trust each other and work better together.

Kaouthar Darmoni explains this beautifully in her talk on embracing feminine power in leadership. She challenges the idea that leadership must conform to rigid, masculine norms and instead encourages women to own their natural strengths—sensuality, creativity, and emotional intelligence—as leadership superpowers.

Feminine energy doesn’t just make teams feel better—it makes them perform better. And that’s exactly why we need more of it.

Feminine leadership needs intentional support

Leadership rooted in empathy, curiosity, and reflection doesn’t shout for attention or chase status.

Instead, feminine leadership quietly inspires and connects people.

But because it isn’t driven by ego or power, it’s often overlooked and undervalued in workplaces that reward louder, more aggressive styles.

That’s exactly why feminine leadership needs intentional support.

The numbers prove it:

• Pay Gap: Women earn just 82 cents for every dollar men make in the U.S. In Australia, women earn around $28,000 less per year compared to men.
• Tech Representation: Women hold only 25% of tech roles in Silicon Valley, and just 5% of leadership positions in UK tech companies.
• Leadership Gap: Only 10.4% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women—just 52 out of 500.

The reality is simple: the way we define and reward leadership is still failing women. To change this, we need to create opportunities and lift more women into leadership.

Speak Up, Step Up, Lift Each Other Up

Lifting women up is one of my most important values.

We need more women in tech—not just filling seats, but redefining leadership itself.

I know firsthand how hard—but also how rewarding—it is to thrive as a woman in tech. I’ve navigated the challenges, the biases, and the unspoken rules. And I also know the impact of having people who believe in you, support you, and create opportunities for you to rise.

That’s why I want to help other women make it.

From the way I run my business, to how I hire, to how I work with my teams—I try to instill this in everything I do.

So today, I invite you to do the same.

Speak up. Claim your space. Celebrate your wins.

And as you rise, lift other women with you.

Mentor, advocate, and amplify their voices.

When teams embrace both feminine and masculine energy, they don’t just work better—they create stronger connections, spark innovation, and build the future we actually want to see.

This International Women’s Day, let’s intentionally infuse teams with feminine energy and lift other women toward leadership.

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