“Be more like a man.”

Women reaching for leadership positions have been told this for decades. They’ve been told that to be a great leader, you must be assertive, strict and unyielding. That you must be in control and commanding. That ultimately you must be even more extreme in your masculine-style leadership in order to make a name for yourself.

When looking at some of the most powerful female leaders of the past, it’s clear that this message wasn’t taken lightly. The main example coming to mind, of course, being former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

At the height of her career, Thatcher was famously referred to as the Iron Lady, due to her strong and intransigent leadership style, unexpected of a woman at the time. She is remembered as a headstrong leader, unrelenting in imposing some of the harshest austerity policies on the British working class. In the National Archives on the History of Government, Dr Ben Griffin asserted that:

“Masculinity was presented as characterised by rationality and emotional control to justify men’s claims to political leadership. Women MPs have had to struggle against this prejudice, sometimes by assuming exaggerated airs of detachment.”

For women like Thatcher making their way into leadership positions in the past, this was the dominant message they received; be cold and therefore you will be powerful. Thatcher, whilst certainly not remembered kindly by the majority of the British public, certainly took on this message and revolutionarily made her way into Number 10.

Today however, things are changing.

The role of stereotypical masculinity in society’s view of great leadership is dwindling. Instead of steadfast management from the top, we are seeing the rise of compassionate and compromising leaders who implement inclusive policies into their workspaces.

To understand the ways in which this shift in leadership style has manifested itself in everyday working life, Panelle's Megan Ioannides turned to Laura Morgan, Managing Director at Ware, who posted a stream of excellent examples on LinkedIn:

Laura explained to Megan her view on the characteristics and importance of great leadership today:

“Let’s be real: good leadership can be incredibly tough!"

"Leaders often get judged for being too kind or too approachable, as if those are weaknesses. But these qualities are what make great leaders. They build trust. They create environments where people feel safe to speak up. They bring teams together. Yet, the world often pushes leaders to fit into some outdated mould.

But the truth is, they don’t need to change. Leading with empathy, inclusivity and transparency isn’t just acceptable; it’s exactly what the workplace needs. It’s time to stop pretending we have to be something we’re not and start embracing the strengths that make us effective leaders.”

Whilst the narratives of the past may have been accepted back then, they are crippling to modern day workers and company cultures now. Instead of looking back 45 years to Thatcher’s impassive administration, let’s look back only 7 years to New Zealand, who in 2017 elected Jacinda Ardern to be their youngest PM.

Jacinda, whilst no longer in power, followed in Thatcher’s footsteps to be just as revolutionary a female leader, alternatively being remembered for her empathy and compassion. Such traits led her to deal with global issues such as the Covid-19 pandemic by putting the people of New Zealand first, locking the country down and keeping the death toll way below that of other nations.

When The Guardian got in touch with the citizens of New Zealand to reflect on Jacinda’s time in office, many mentioned the ‘Jacinda effect’ that brought pride and prestige to the country. She has been described as refreshing and warm but ‘tough when she needed to be.’ One of her most famous quotes epitomises her stance on modern-day leadership:

‘Simply being human is more than enough for a leader.’

Inclusivity, transparency and simple humanity, led by examples such as Jacinda Ardern, are now being recognised as pillars of great leadership. There is a shift towards inclusive and welcoming work cultures where the hierarchy that once placed masculinity at the top is now being abolished and women, in particular, no longer need to fit an archaic mould.

Times have changed for the better. Leadership styles must continue to change with them.