Female leadership still feels like an exception!

By Fenni Nghikevali
It is the year 2025. Women lead nations, organisations, communities and classrooms. Yet, somehow, female leadership still feels like a rarity, an exception, a milestone!
We still hear the phrase “the first woman to…” far too often. We still marvel when a woman occupies the highest seat. The presence of women in leadership continues to be treated as a moment of celebration rather than a normal state of progress. And until that changes, leadership itself remains incomplete.
Progress has been made but it seems the perception has not caught up. The presence of women in leadership is still treated as a milestone, not a norm. The question is no longer whether women can lead. History, competence, and experience have answered that. The question is: “When will we stop treating Female Leadership as remarkable?”
The real work is to normalize female leadership and to move from admiration to acceptance, and from symbolism to substance.
Redefining Leadership
The goal is not merely to increase the number of women in leadership roles, but rather to redefine and reshape what leadership itself means.
True progress will come from a world that welcomes the full spectrum of leadership styles, in other words, masculine, feminine, and everything in between. Leadership should not demand that women abandon their natural strengths to be taken seriously. It should evolve to recognize that compassion, intuition, and collaboration are not opposites of strength, they are extensions of it.
Research continues to reveal that women in leadership are judged more harshly, interrupted more often, and held to higher standards of performance. A confident male leader is seen as assertive; a confident female leader is sometimes called aggressive. A compassionate male leader is praised for emotional intelligence; a compassionate woman is sometimes labeled as too soft.
When leadership reflects diversity, it becomes richer, more grounded, and more effective. This redefinition benefits everyone. When women rise, organizations gain perspective, families gain role models, and societies gain balance.
In this redefinition, leadership becomes less about who sits at the head of the table, and more about how that table is built, who is invited to it, and whether every voice is heard once seated.
The Face of Leadership Still Isn’t Female Enough
For generations, leadership has been defined through a narrow lens of authority, dominance, and decisiveness, traits historically associated with masculinity. For centuries, this narrow definition shaped what “a leader” looks and sounds like.
When women step into that space, they are often viewed as exceptions to the rule. The expectation still lingers that female leaders must either “toughen up” or “soften down” to be accepted.
Completing the Story
We are no longer living in a time when female leadership is a novelty. Yet, perception lags behind reality. Too often, women leaders are still described in terms of rarity rather than capability.
We must create systems that not only allow women to lead but allow them to lead authentically. Spaces where their voices are not an interruption to the conversation, but a natural part of it.
When that happens, we will not have more women leading, we will have a world finally led by the fullness of its potential.
To move forward, we must build systems that do not merely allow women to lead but empower them to lead authentically. That means workplaces where leadership is measured not by conformity, but by contribution.
Therefore, mentorship, sponsorship, and visibility matter. Representation matters. But more than that, normality matters. When a young girl sees women leading with confidence and integrity across all fields, not as rare exceptions but as everyday examples, her vision of leadership expands. She learns that leadership does not require her to emulate someone else’s voice; it only asks that she use her own.
Redefining leadership is about dismantling the silent assumptions that make their presence seem extraordinary. It is about ensuring that the word leader no longer requires a gendered prefix.
A world that fully embraces female leadership is not one that celebrates women for stepping into leadership. It is a world where empathy and excellence coexist, where vision is not limited by gender, and where leadership is seen not as a title to be earned by a few, but a responsibility shared by many.
When that day comes, leadership will finally reflect the fullness of human potential. We will not have more women leading. On the contrary, we will have a world complete in its leadership.
Female Leadership is not charity. It is strategy.
*Fenni Nghikevali is a Leadership Advocate who has been recognised as an Honoree in Leadership Excellence by the African Achievers Award, in recognition of transformational impact and leadership. She is a Chartered Accountant, Governance Enthusiast, Business Consulting Owner, Strategic Ambassador, Public Speaker and Executive Mentor to emerging leaders.
This article is written in her personal capacity and is not representative of any institution. For inquiries, contact her at [email protected].
The post Female leadership still feels like an exception! first appeared on The Brief | Namibia's Leading Business & Financial News.
By Fenni Nghikevali
It is the year 2025. Women lead nations, organisations, communities and classrooms. Yet, somehow, female leadership still feels like a rarity, an exception, a milestone!
We still hear the phrase “the first woman to…” far too often. We still marvel when a woman occupies the highest seat. The presence of women in leadership continues to be treated as a moment of celebration rather than a normal state of progress. And until that changes, leadership itself remains incomplete.
Progress has been made but it seems the perception has not caught up. The presence of women in leadership is still treated as a milestone, not a norm. The question is no longer whether women can lead. History, competence, and experience have answered that. The question is: “When will we stop treating Female Leadership as remarkable?”
The real work is to normalize female leadership and to move from admiration to acceptance, and from symbolism to substance.
Redefining Leadership
The goal is not merely to increase the number of women in leadership roles, but rather to redefine and reshape what leadership itself means.
True progress will come from a world that welcomes the full spectrum of leadership styles, in other words, masculine, feminine, and everything in between. Leadership should not demand that women abandon their natural strengths to be taken seriously. It should evolve to recognize that compassion, intuition, and collaboration are not opposites of strength, they are extensions of it.
Research continues to reveal that women in leadership are judged more harshly, interrupted more often, and held to higher standards of performance. A confident male leader is seen as assertive; a confident female leader is sometimes called aggressive. A compassionate male leader is praised for emotional intelligence; a compassionate woman is sometimes labeled as too soft.
When leadership reflects diversity, it becomes richer, more grounded, and more effective. This redefinition benefits everyone. When women rise, organizations gain perspective, families gain role models, and societies gain balance.
In this redefinition, leadership becomes less about who sits at the head of the table, and more about how that table is built, who is invited to it, and whether every voice is heard once seated.
The Face of Leadership Still Isn’t Female Enough
For generations, leadership has been defined through a narrow lens of authority, dominance, and decisiveness, traits historically associated with masculinity. For centuries, this narrow definition shaped what “a leader” looks and sounds like.
When women step into that space, they are often viewed as exceptions to the rule. The expectation still lingers that female leaders must either “toughen up” or “soften down” to be accepted.
Completing the Story
We are no longer living in a time when female leadership is a novelty. Yet, perception lags behind reality. Too often, women leaders are still described in terms of rarity rather than capability.
We must create systems that not only allow women to lead but allow them to lead authentically. Spaces where their voices are not an interruption to the conversation, but a natural part of it.
When that happens, we will not have more women leading, we will have a world finally led by the fullness of its potential.
To move forward, we must build systems that do not merely allow women to lead but empower them to lead authentically. That means workplaces where leadership is measured not by conformity, but by contribution.
Therefore, mentorship, sponsorship, and visibility matter. Representation matters. But more than that, normality matters. When a young girl sees women leading with confidence and integrity across all fields, not as rare exceptions but as everyday examples, her vision of leadership expands. She learns that leadership does not require her to emulate someone else’s voice; it only asks that she use her own.
Redefining leadership is about dismantling the silent assumptions that make their presence seem extraordinary. It is about ensuring that the word leader no longer requires a gendered prefix.
A world that fully embraces female leadership is not one that celebrates women for stepping into leadership. It is a world where empathy and excellence coexist, where vision is not limited by gender, and where leadership is seen not as a title to be earned by a few, but a responsibility shared by many.
When that day comes, leadership will finally reflect the fullness of human potential. We will not have more women leading. On the contrary, we will have a world complete in its leadership.
Female Leadership is not charity. It is strategy.
*Fenni Nghikevali is a Leadership Advocate who has been recognised as an Honoree in Leadership Excellence by the African Achievers Award, in recognition of transformational impact and leadership. She is a Chartered Accountant, Governance Enthusiast, Business Consulting Owner, Strategic Ambassador, Public Speaker and Executive Mentor to emerging leaders.
This article is written in her personal capacity and is not representative of any institution. For inquiries, contact her at [email protected].
The post Female leadership still feels like an exception! first appeared on The Brief | Namibia's Leading Business & Financial News.
