Insights from Senior Women Leaders in Male-Dominated Industries
In this article, I reflect on insights from two senior executives on women in leadership — drawing on real-world experience from male-dominated industries and my own work as an executive coach. We explore how leadership styles often associated with women contribute to stronger collaboration, better decision-making, and more sustainable organizational performance.
Over the years, I’ve had countless conversations with leaders about what effective leadership really means in today’s complex world. But one question has stayed with me ever since I first heard it from my late teacher and friend Paul Brown, a thought-leader in applied neuroscience and leadership development:
“What is it that women bring to leadership that men can’t?”
Neuroscience has long shown significant differences between the female and male brain. [1] But what do these differences actually mean in real-world leadership? And how can women leverage them in a way that benefits the entire organisation?
In a recent episode of Second Crack – The Leadership Podcast, my co-host Martin Aldergård and I had the privilege of exploring this topic with two exceptional women: Dr. Melanie Maas-Brunner and Evelyn Chau. Both have built impressive international careers in traditionally male-dominated industries—chemicals and global banking, respectively. And both brought a level of honesty and practical wisdom that made this one of our most insightful conversations on our podcast to date.
Below is a summary of our discussion. You can listen to the complete episode “Lessons From Women In Leadership” on all major podcast platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on my website.
Leadership Career Paths: How Many Women “Fall Into” Leadership
Both Melanie and Evelyn describe their leadership journeys as developing naturally. They didn’t join the corporate world with the sole ambition of climbing the ladder through „curated“ moves. Instead, Melanie sought situations where she could find purpose and make a tangible difference. For Evelyn, the desire to help others develop professionally played a key role.
So, did they simply “fall” into leadership roles?
“Clearly not”, says Melanie, “there’s a principle behind this: ‘Falling’ into leadership is not happening by chance. It’s happening because people see that you are obviously good in what you are doing. In other words: if you are doing a good job and focus on that, the right people will notice that—and eventually you will be asked to take on a larger role one day.”
‘Falling’ into leadership is not happening by chance. It’s happening because people see that you are obviously good in what you are doing.
However, there is a caveat: doing good work is rarely enough if you are too quiet about it. Ultimately, you must be vocal, too. The old saying, “Do good work and talk about it,” still holds true. The key is finding a way to do this that feels authentic; if it feels like a „show,“ it will backfire.
Confidence in Leadership: Do Women Lead Differently Than Men?
The question of whether one is ready for the next level often comes down to confidence. Melanie shares a striking „proof point“ from her career: Data from 360-degree feedback consistently showed that men’s self-assessments were regularly above the average rating of others, while women consistently rated themselves lower than others rated them.
While we must be careful not to overgeneralize, the tendency is clear: women are often more self-critical and doubt themselves more than men. Yet, confidence is a currency in promotions. “You can be quiet,” Melanie notes, “but if you are quiet and confident, that makes a difference”.
For those who don’t feel naturally confident, Evelyn and Melanie suggest:
- to find mentors who support your development
- to constantly seek honest feedback to come to a more accurate self-assessment
- and to know your values: When you know what you stand for, you know what you are fighting for. That clarity creates a natural, quiet confidence.
What Women Bring to Leadership That Men Can’t
So, how do the gender differences play out when it comes to leadership, and what are some of the capabilities that women bring more naturally to leadership? Our guests highlight the following unique strengths women often bring to the table:
More Constructive and Open Communication
Women tend to have more constructive and open communication styles. They listen more, they are open to diverse opinions and, most importantly, are able to construct something positive out of these different opinions.
In contrast, men often have their own opinions and hold onto them dearly: On a surface level, they may appear to listen—while internally remaining strongly attached to their own views. This approach to leadership is limiting because it does not tap into the collective intelligence of the people—which is so critical in today’s complex and fast-paced world.
Empathy Translated into Action
While clearly male and female personalities with extraordinary empathetic abilities exist, in general, women are more likely to bring more empathetic wisdom into leadership roles than their male counterparts.
Empathy is not just about being ‘nice’ to others. Empathy is a critical capability, for instance, in dealing with crisis: it is key to understanding people and their needs inside and outside the organization. Involving your heart in addition to the head, ultimately leads to better and more sustainable business decisions.
A Bias towards Collaboration
Instead of pushing their own agenda, women leaders often strive to co-create outcomes with others. This often leads to stronger alignment across teams and better business results, particularly in the long run.
The Courage to Challenge Inappropriate Behaviour
Melanie describes how she once left a team event after a male leader made inappropriate comments. She didn’t shout, she simply walked out. That silent action sent a more powerful message than any confrontation could have.
A Natural Inclination to Build Others Up
Both guests spoke about mentoring younger colleagues—women and men. This commitment to developing others strengthens the organizational culture and breaks down silos.
None of these qualities are exclusive to women. And not all women display them equally. But the tendencies are real—and they’re exactly the qualities organizations desperately need today.
How Organizations Can Support Women in Leadership Roles
While there is a lot of evidence that more diverse corporations are more successful [2], in many organisations women are still underrepresented at first-level leaderships roles compared to entry level—and from there it only gets worse on the way to top management.
Partly, this is because of a lack of support structure both in organisations and countries. Particularly in Central European countries, when a woman decides to have children in her thirties, it is often extremely difficult to rejoin the organisation on a career trajectory. In contrast, men usually can be a parent and build a professional career.
Organisations that wish to benefit from diversity need to look into how they can better support women in leadership roles—beyond simply defining a quota. In parallel, women also need support on a national level, for instance as in Sweden where it’s mandatory to split parental leave between both parents.
Career Advice for Women Leaders in Male-Dominated Industries
Evelyn mentors younger women who aspire to leadership roles. Her advice is this: don’t wait for others but be proactive and demonstrate agency. Be more vocal about your career goals and talk openly about what you want with your manager.
In addition, networks are mission-critical, so build these networks proactively, reach out to people and also find a supportive mentor.
Melanie re-emphasizes the importance of being authentic: be yourself. If you are not authentic, trying to play a role, people will look right through it and it’s not going to help. So, based on who you are, your personality traits, you need to build your leadership capabilities and your own unique leadership style.
On the confidence part, Melanie adds that confidence is also built on competence. Competence is best developed on your ‘home turf’, what you are naturally good at and enjoy.
Furthermore, don’t think about career planning only in terms of “what’s the next step?” Think about in which environment do you want to work in and take a holistic perspective: what do you want to see in your life and what not? How much time do you want to spend with your family? Make sure you don’t put yourself in a situation in which you don’t feel comfortable, because then you won’t be able to perform. So be clear about what you want and what you don’t want—and communicate this to the people around you.
Lastly, Melanie adds a very critical yet often underestimated success factor: you must have fun! Clearly work is not always fun; there will be tough times. But there must be a foundation of generally enjoying what you do because sustained performance without joy rarely lasts.
References
[1] The Journal of Neuroscience Research dedicated a whole issue to differences between the male and female brain. See, e.g., the lead article: Cahill, L. (2016). An issue whose time has come. Journal of Neuroscience Research, 95(1-2), pp.12–13. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/jnr.23972.
[2] see, e.g., McKinsey & Company (2023). Diversity Matters Even more: the Case for Holistic Impact. [online] McKinsey & Company. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-matters-even-more-the-case-for-holistic-impact [Accessed 8 Jan. 2026]
If You’d Like to Dive Deeper
Whether you identify as a woman, a man, or otherwise, and want to create meaningful impact through more diversity and better collaboration, you can listen to the full conversation “Lessons From Women in Leadership” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on my website.
Dr. Melanie Maas-Brunner is the former Chief Technology Officer of BASF, now a non-executive director focused on sustainability and innovation.
Evelyn Chau is currently the Director of Corporate Banking at HSBC Sweden, with expertise in international finance and mentoring emerging leaders.
Second Crack – The Leadership Podcast is hosted by Martin Aldergård and me, Dr. Gerrit Pelzer. Each month, we explore real-world leadership dilemmas and invite you to reflect on your own practice. If you’re curious about how we can help you or your organization accelerate leadership growth—through individual executive coaching or tailored development programs—feel free to contact us for a no-obligation consultation. We’d be delighted to connect.