“If women lead just like men, we won’t achieve diversity or added value. But when the feminine and the masculine complement each other, that’s when we do.”

The Female Future Festival focuses on “The Power of Connection”. At the Female Future Meetup in Hanover, Ines Imdahl explained why the combination of the feminine and the masculine is driving the economy forward again.

Recent studies show that European companies with more women in leadership positions are over 60% more likely to be above-average in profitability due to their diversity (McKinsey, 2024).

Imdahl explains this by highlighting feminine strengths that can be leveraged in leadership.

Contrary to what is often assumed, women are not “too complicated”; rather, they know how to incorporate complex interrelationships into their decision-making. Furthermore, caring is a feminine strength, as evidenced by the unpaid care work (amounting to 825 billion euros per year in Germany) that women perform. Emotional intelligence and sensitivity also represent important competencies that female leadership has to offer, especially in times of crisis.

Women give birth to children, run ultramarathons, and live longer—their perseverance and resilience ensure medium- and long-term success.

These and many other feminine qualities offer businesses, politics, and even men added value that should not be underestimated!