How Today’s Women Leaders Are Building Tomorrow’s Legacy

What do today’s women leaders want to leave behind? More women in senior positions is certainly part of the answer. But so is creating workplaces where different people can succeed, where ambition is supported and where the next generation can see a path for themselves.

That was the subject of a panel I recently joined at the inaugural Khaleej Times Women’s Power Summit in Dubai. Moderated by Ted Kemp, Chief Content Officer at Khaleej Times, the conversation brought together Ahlam Bolooki, CEO of the Emirates Literature Foundation; Katy Keenan, CEO of the British Chamber of Commerce Dubai; Kimberley Pierce, CEO of King’s College Hospital London, Dubai; and me.

Across healthcare, literature, business and executive search, many of the same questions emerged. How do we recognise leadership potential? How honest should we be about the pressures involved? And how do we make it easier for others to come through?

Making Room for Different Ways to Lead

One question put to the panel was whether women need a different leadership template, given that many expectations of leadership were shaped by men. I’m wary of templates altogether. They can narrow our understanding of who looks or sounds like a leader, before we have properly considered what someone can contribute.

The discussion offered a useful example of how experience in frontline nursing can translate into healthcare leadership. Evaluating information, making decisions under pressure and responding to changing circumstances are all skills needed to run an organisation. Understanding the everyday realities facing the people delivering care is equally valuable.

It raises an important question for organisations: where might leadership ability already exist, beyond the career paths they usually consider? Leaders will have different personalities and approaches. They also need to adapt to different people and situations. Clear values provide consistency through those changes, giving teams confidence in the person making the decisions.

Looking Beyond the Women Already at the Top

Celebrating successful women matters. Their visibility helps others imagine what is possible. But the strength of the pipeline deserves just as much attention. Through our work at Hanson Search, I see considerable differences between sectors. Communications and HR offer many examples of senior female leadership. In parts of finance and technology, I still encounter conversations that remind me of those other industries 20 years ago. Progress depends partly on who gets encouraged, who receives useful feedback and whose potential is recognised early enough.

Recruitment has a role here. Interviewing well and doing a job well are different skills. Some candidates communicate their achievements confidently; others need help explaining the experience and judgement they would bring. Organisations risk overlooking capable people when presentation becomes too dominant in the decision. Taking the time to understand someone’s contribution, how they make decisions and how they lead others gives a fuller picture. That is particularly important when their background or style differs from those who have held the role before.

Being Honest About the Support Behind Success

The discussion about work and family was refreshingly candid. There was little suggestion that anyone had found a perfect balance.

Being present in whichever part of life needs our attention takes effort. So does recognising the practical support that makes a demanding career possible, whether that comes from family, friends, neighbours or help at home. That honesty matters. When successful women appear to manage everything effortlessly, the example can feel impossible to follow.

There are choices and sacrifices, and priorities change. Being open about that gives others permission to ask for help and make decisions that work for their own circumstances. It should also influence how we manage people. Leaders who understand the pressures beyond work are better placed to have realistic conversations about what their teams need to perform well.

Combining Empathy With Clear Expectations

Supporting people includes having conversations they may find difficult.

One of the challenges explored was how to make decisions that serve an organisation while remaining thoughtful about the people affected. Understanding someone’s circumstances does not remove the responsibility to address performance or make difficult choices. The same applies to development. Useful feedback needs to be clear enough for someone to act on. If a candidate speaks too quickly or struggles to explain their achievements, telling them gives them something specific to improve.

Trust makes those conversations easier. Explaining the intention behind feedback, listening to the response and showing a willingness to be open yourself can help people hear it.

The panel’s discussion of vulnerability was relevant here too. When leaders acknowledge their own challenges, other people often feel more comfortable sharing theirs. That creates opportunities to offer support before a problem grows.

Giving the Next Generation a Fuller Picture

Role models were another recurring theme. Younger women need access to examples of leadership that feel credible and attainable, including an honest account of how those careers developed.

That means sharing the support, uncertainty and difficult decisions alongside the achievements. It also means showing a range of routes into leadership, so that more women can recognise something of themselves in the people they see.

There were different views on how the next generation will approach work. Leadership carries responsibility and demands difficult choices, but technology may also give future leaders opportunities to organise work differently. Their careers may follow patterns we cannot yet predict. For today’s leaders, the opportunity is to help them prepare: through fairer hiring, thoughtful development, honest feedback and practical support.

The legacy will be visible in who comes through next—and in the opportunities they, in turn, create for others.

Whether you are hiring top talent or considering your next career move, our team would be delighted to support you.

Alice Weightman is CEO and Head of MENA for Hanson Search.

Hanson Search Group is a global talent consultancy providing executive search, recruitment and leadership advisory services. Built on more than twenty years of trusted relationships, we operate as a connected global platform of specialist practices with expert consultants embedded in key markets.