At the end of July 2025, Middlesex Football Association announced the ground-breaking moment that they made history by becoming the first completely female-led County Football Association.

This key milestone followed the appointment of Philina Toiny as Chair, who joined the CEO, Kayleigh Saunders, and President, Barbara Bivens, ensuring all the highest leadership roles were occupied by women.

Historically dominated by men, these football leadership positions are now seeing a rising influence of women, following a record 56% increase in the number of women and girls playing the sport over the past four years.

Outside of sport, the Institute of Directors also reports “near-revolutionary change” with nearly half (47%) of new board appointments to FTSE 100 companies, and more than 35% of leadership roles, being filled by women.

A respected leadership expert with a unique viewpoint, Drew Povey, shares his thoughts on the benefits of all-female leadership teams, backing his insights with compelling data from some of the most recent, reliable, and prominent studies.

1. The real edge? Collaborative and emotionally intelligent leadership.

Diversity isn’t the destination; it’s the starting point. When teams are truly inclusive, they stop mirroring one voice and start magnifying performance. This is especially true in leadership, where different perspectives don’t dilute clarity, they sharpen it.

At the heart of this is cognitive diversity and the impact it has on how decisions are made. Female leaders, for instance, often bring more collaborative and emotionally intelligent approaches to leadership – qualities that are especially valuable in high-stakes, complex environments.

These insights are supported by a 2024 study on gender and leadership styles, which found that women tend to lead in more inclusive, empathetic, and people-focused ways, ultimately benefiting team dynamics and strategic outcomes.

2. Psychological safety starts at the top.

The real question isn’t “Why can all-female teams succeed?”, it’s “Why did it take so long to give them the chance?”. Female-led teams often foster cultures of inclusion, trust, and psychological safety which are all proven ingredients of stronger performance and innovation.

Code-named Project Aristotle, Google conducted a two-year research project starting in 2012 to uncover exactly what makes teams successful. The findings revealed that success depends less on who is on the team and more on how they work together, with psychological safety emerging as one of the most important factors.

Essentially, this environment of strong psychological safety meant that team members felt safer and more confident taking risks, speaking up, and sharing ideas without fear of being viewed as ignorant, incompetent, or disruptive.

This is echoed in McKinsey’s 2024 Women in the Workplace report which highlights how women may have a greater awareness of interpersonal dynamics, specifically microaggressions – with 28% of women recognising these comments and actions compared to just 11% of men.

This heightened social awareness suggests that women leaders may be more attuned to subtle forms of bias or exclusion, making them better equipped to create inclusive, respectful environments – something that’s directly linked to improved psychological safety and team performance.

3. Leading with strength and sensitivity, not command and control.

The best leaders don’t lead with ego – they lead with purpose, empathy, and presence. And all-female teams often bring a different, more evolved style of leadership by blending strength with vulnerability and championing connection over control.

Certain leadership behaviours, such as active listening, people development, and strategic patience are therefore more common in female-led teams. These behaviours align with what research defines as transformational leadership.

As per the findings of a 1992 meta-analysis of 61 studies, female leaders demonstrate more transformational leadership styles, meaning they’re more likely to embody positive aspects of the organisation and use inspirational methods to engage their team.

This contrasts with their male counterparts who tend to favour traditional transactional leadership and prioritise ‘command-and-control’ models.

Final thoughts: When leadership evolves, performance follows.

Female leadership is a common topic for leadership consultancies, but tackling this topic isn’t about making the blanket statement that women are better leaders than men.

The push towards all-female leadership teams is undoubtedly a welcomed and well-intentioned one, seeking to address the historical exclusion of women’s skills from the leadership arena.

And while it’s true that women have been restricted by glass ceilings for far too long, the key to strong leadership is in crafting a balanced team with different views and approaches.

Because this isn’t a diversity story, it’s a high-performance one. The best leadership teams don’t look the same, think the same, or act the same. They’re built with different perspectives, experiences, and strengths, and united by a shared sense of purpose.

Ultimately, true leadership progress lies not in outright exclusion or overcorrection, but in building inclusive leadership teams where diverse talents – regardless of gender – can thrive.

In risky, uncertain, or complex situations, fear is an inherent part of leadership. But the most effective leaders aren’t defined by their absence of fear, rather their ability to act in spite of fear, out of courage.

A defining attribute of effective leadership, courage empowers leaders to make potentially tough but necessary decisions, combat challenges head-on, and act with integrity and authenticity even when the stakes are high or they face opposition.

Leading beyond fear therefore isn’t about ignoring or avoiding these difficult situations, but having the courage to embrace vulnerability, make the right decisions instead of the easy ones, and foster environments where others feel empowered to do the same.

Drew Povey, an influential leadership authority specialising in elite level sport, education, and business, explains why courageous individuals can make some of the best leaders, supported by research and practical insights.

1. Moral courage fuels respect and transparency.

When navigating situations with potential ethical implications, the most effective leaders are those who lead with respect and openness – an approach closely linked to high levels of moral courage.

This is supported by a multi-source study on morally courageous leadership which found that leaders with higher levels of moral courage had greater respect for team members and were more open to relational transparency, ultimately enhancing their effectiveness as a leader.

However, a word of caution: the same study found that leaders who overestimated their moral courage were actually less respectful toward team members, rendering them less effective leaders.

Self-reflection, practicing empathy, and fostering open communication can help you to cultivate higher levels of moral courage.

2. Courageous leaders are authentic leaders.

The relationship between courage and authentic leadership is both complex and deeply interconnected. While authenticity is characterised by genuine self-expression, transparency, and ethical behaviour – it requires more than just good intentions; it demands courage.

This belief is supported by 2018 study on leaders and decision-making which identified some of the key internal drivers for courage, such as core personal values and beliefs, and self-consciousness – all of which are closely aligned with authentic leadership.

With courage underpinning this authentic leadership style, individuals are empowered to stay true to themselves and act in alignment with their core values, even in uncertain, hard, or risky situations.

From making difficult decisions and admitting mistakes to speaking honestly despite opposition, courage is the force that empowers authenticity in action. Without courage, authentic leadership simply cannot be sustained.

3. Courage: The catalyst for team inspiration.

Courage has also been identified as an important element of another leadership style – transformational leadership.

This type of leadership focuses on inspiring and motivating teams to achieve a shared goal by challenging the status quo, fostering innovation, and empowering individuals to not only meet, but surpass expectations.

A 2023 study of transformational leadership found that when leaders engage in these behaviours, they encourage and inspire their team members to leverage their strengths and take personal initiative – leading to greater enthusiasm and engagement at work.

However, transformational leadership can’t exist without courage as this leadership style often involves taking calculated risks, confronting resistance, and navigating uncertainty.

For example, if a company has outdated practices, transformational leaders must have the courage to implement new, more effective practices regardless of opposition.

In this way, courage becomes the catalyst that transforms a group of individuals into a motivated, high-performing, and fully aligned team.

4. Listening – the unsung act of courage.

A leader who truly listens is a leader that embodies courage. Why? Because listening to potentially unexpected feedback or even outright criticism requires vulnerability and a genuine openness to hear other perspectives.

Whether you have to admit that you don’t have all the answers or completely change course following challenging or uncomfortable feedback, leaders who pair courage with active listening are the ones who ultimately succeed and inspire lasting trust.

This is supported by the findings of a 2021 study on the power of listening at work which found that employees who experience high-quality listening also report increased levels of job satisfaction and psychological safety.

Essentially, this leadership approach creates a culture where team members feel confident and safe enough to express their honest opinions and ideas.

Final thoughts: Leadership courage drives team performance.

While fear is an unavoidable part of leadership and even beneficial in small doses, leaving it unchecked can foster an unhealthy or even toxic environment marked by intimidation and control, eroded trust, and stifled creativity.

Leaders that can move beyond this fear, guided by courage, are better equipped to make more informed decisions, even when it’s difficult or unpopular.

Their motivation isn’t rooted in achieving perfection or complete fearlessness, but in authenticity, empowerment, and a commitment to simply doing what’s right.