There are so many great words to describe female leaders.
Female leaders make for a better world, and they inspire everyone around them. Strong female leaders, no matter their exact leadership positions, often fight for issues like equality and human rights, and are very successful in doing so.
Female leaders generally have the same traits, many of which are listed in this post below.
Some leaders may be born with many of these characteristics, but most leaders have had to work very hard to get to where they are today and to possess the skills that they have.
It doesn’t matter what kind of job you have, whether you coach a soccer team, you work in a restaurant, you are a civil rights activist, you work in corporate world as a chief executive, or if you’re self-employed, you can be a leader than makes meaningful change.
If you want to be a successful female leader, this post will give you a great idea of the qualities you should have.
This post is all about 71 words to describe female leaders.
71 Powerful Words To Describe Female Leaders
Here are 71 powerful words to describe female leaders that’ll inspire you.
1. Capable
Female leaders are capable. Female leaders may have differing leadership styles across the board but one thing is for certain: all great female leaders know what they need to get done, and if they don’t know how, they will find a way.
2. Brilliant
Female leaders are often brilliant. They think outside of the box and their coworkers and team members are often baffled and impressed by the ideas and solutions that they come up with.
3. Phenomenal
A word that encompasses great female leaders. Phenomenal leaders possess most if not all of the characteristics in this article.
4. Strategic
Great female leaders don’t just choose a path forward for the sake of choosing. The path they choose is well thought-out and makes sense for their team’s goals.
5. Forward-thinking
Great female leaders aren’t just thinking about today… They are often 10 steps ahead and the decisions they make ensure that their team is on track for a better future.
6. Strong
Great female leaders are strong women. They do not waver, and they stay committed to their mission despite the difficulty. They aren’t easily intimidated, either.
“Be strong, but not rude; Be kind, but not weak; Be bold, but not bully; Be humble, but not timid; Be proud, but not arrogant.”
– Zig Ziglar
7. Sharp
Female leaders are often well-spoken (using powerful words and concise sentences) and give off the perception of being put-together in the way that they carry themselves.
8. Determined
They know what they want and they won’t stop until they get there.
9. Impressive
Their accomplishments are often very impressive. They have accomplished a lot and plan to accomplish even more going forward.
10. Calm
They remain calm even in hard times. They don’t let their emotions get the best of them. They remain calm, cool, and collected, even when they have every reason not to be.
11. Inspiring
Great female leaders are inspiring. They make those that work with them want to be better leaders and versions of themselves.
12. Motivational
Female leaders are motivational. They help their teams see their vision, and get everyone else excited to move toward that vision as well.
13. Accountable
They are accountable. When they mess up, they own it and they don’t blame anyone else for their mistakes. When their team messes up, they take accountability for that as well and find ways to ensure that the team doesn’t make the same mistake going forward.
14. Collaborative
They are helpful and easy to work with, and other people often enjoy working with them.
15. Courageous
They aren’t afraid to get out of their comfort zones and they aren’t afraid to speak up, especially when it’s incredibly important to do so.
16. Communicative
Great female leaders have excellent communication skills. Whether you are communicating with them via chat, email, phone, etc. you are able to understand their message and effectively converse with them.
17. Empathetic
Female leaders know at the end of the day that work is just work, and that their employees are more than just employees – they are people.
Great female leaders are empathetic when their employees are going through something and more than willing to give their employees time off or some space so that they can take care of what they need to take care of.
18. Caring
Great leaders don’t just care about their employees getting work done. They care about their employees on a more personal level, too, and truly want to see their employees thrive both inside and outside of the workplace.
19. Flexible
Great female leaders know that change is inevitable. They know that most people don’t like change, so when change is around the corner, they make sure to have a positive attitude about it so that their employees follow suit.
“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.”
– Albert Einstein
20. Focused
Great female leaders aren’t easily distracted or derailed. If they are thrown off course, they quickly get back on track.
21. Innovative
They come up with creative solutions to problems and unique ideas to move the needle.
22. Organized
They are often very organized and on time.
23. Optimistic
Great female leaders know the importance of optimism. No one wants to be around someone who is always complaining or seeing the glass half-full.
Female leaders have the important role of setting an example for their team by being optimistic.
24. Passionate
Strong female leaders are passionate. They care about the work they are doing and they strive to do their best each day.
25. Patient
Great female leaders are patient. They know that they can only control certain things, and that anything they can’t control is out of their hands. They do what they can knowing that they can’t control everything.
26. Respectful
Great female leaders are respectful of all those that they work with, no matter what level those people are. They treat everyone the same – from those in the lowest to the highest positions of power.
27. Self-aware
Female leaders are self-aware. They know how they come off, when to say certain things, and are very aware of how they make people feel.
28. Transparent
You can always count on great female leaders to be transparent. If they aren’t absolutely required to withhold information, they don’t. They like to keep their team informed and aware whenever possible.
29. Trustworthy
You can tell female leaders things in confidence, and trust that they will not use anything against you or divulge that information to anyone else.
30. Honest
You can trust that whatever a great female leader says is honest. She will not tell lies or spread lies.
More Words To Describe Female Leaders
31. Confident
Capable female leaders are confident, but not overbearing. They are confident in their skills and ability to lead a team to success.
32. Visionary
They see the big picture. They know it can be really easy to get caught up in the day to day tasks, but they always keep the end goal top of mind.
33. Delegator
Female leaders know that they can’t do everything themselves. They rely on their team, delegate tasks when necessary, and give their team the opportunity to grow and learn.
34. Committed
They are committed and consistent. You can count on them to get their work done, and to show up on time. You won’t have to worry about a great female leader not doing what they say they will do.
“Commitment is the enemy of resistance, for it is the serious promise to press on, to get up, no matter how many times you are knocked down.”
– David McNally
35. Fair
They do not favor certain employees. Female leaders are fair in all situations that require their judgment and it is very important to them that their team members have equal opportunities.
36. Inquisitive
They are constantly asking questions and learning each and every day. They remain curious and are always trying to grow their knowledge in their field.
37. Networker
Female leaders are constantly connecting with others in their field or at their workplace. They know the value of knowing many people.
38. Self-motivated
No one needs to motivate them. Their motivation comes from within, which makes them incredibly reliable.
39. Humble
No matter how good of a leader they are, or how good the work that they do is, they remain humble. Being humble is of utmost importance to them.
40. Disciplined
They know the value of discipline. They work hard day in and day out – but also make sure to get a proper amount of rest when needed. Work-life balance is very important to them.
41. Emotionally intelligent
They are in-tune with the thoughts and feelings of those around them. They can sense when something is off or when someone needs extra attention. Their emotional intelligence makes them very likable.
42. Supportive
You can always ask them for help, and they are more than willing to help you when needed. They want to see their team succeed and grow and will make this known over and over.
43. Kind
Kindness is a major value of great female leaders. They want to be approachable, and being kind is a great way to ensure that their team feels comfortable discussing whatever they need to with their leader. Kindness is one of their many positive attributes.
44. Growth-minded
Female leaders want to grow. They constantly want to evolve and become the best version of themselves.
45. Adaptable
They know change is inevitable, and they expect it to happen. Instead of remaining frustrated by change, they embrace it, and help their team adopt the change as well.
46. Creative
They are creative – they think of new ways to do things and are constantly challenging the status quo.
47. Reliable
They are reliable. You can ask them for their thoughts or their help with pretty much anything and they will either help you personally or find someone who can.
48. Risk-taking
They know when to take risks. They never put too much on the line, but they know that sometimes success and getting ahead involve getting out of your comfort zone.
49. Welcoming
They don’t try to be intimidating, but rather, welcoming. They want their team to feel comfortable and invited – especially when it comes to new people joining in!
50. Inclusive
Everyone is treated fairly no matter their ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender differences, etc. It is very important to great female leaders that everyone feels included at all times.
51. Decisive
They don’t dilly dally when it comes to making decisions. They know that if they aren’t able to make a decision, that this can be very confusing for their team. Their team needs direction and clarity, so awesome female leaders make educated decisions quickly and commit to them.
52. Persuasive
Capable female leaders are persuasive when they need to be. They are convicted in their thoughts and beliefs and other people can sense this. They think long and hard before speaking their piece, and people trust their judgment.
53. Responsible
They can be trusted to carry out even the hardest conversations and tasks. No matter what, the best female leaders can be relied upon.
54. Influence
Strong female leaders have a way of getting others to believe in them with their influential voice and thoughts. Their team is proud to work for them as a leader, and they strive to do their best because they’re constantly inspired to do so.
55. Open-minded
A great female leader may have an opinion, but they are also willing to hear all opposing thoughts. If someone brings up a thought or belief that is different than the one the female leader has, the leader will hear them out, and if it makes sense, they are willing to change their stance for the greater good of the team.
56. Willing
If you need a female leader for something, they are willing to help, listen, lead, etc. They know when they need to say no, but oftentimes they are the kind of leaders you can rely on to help.
57. Listener
They actively listen. They aren’t just waiting for their turn to speak, but they really listen to what people have to say. They know they don’t know everything and that listening is a key component to being a good leader.
58. Protector
They protect their team from outside forces when necessary. Because of this, the team always feels protected by their leader. The leader is always willing to help outside of their own team, but not if it means stretching their own team too thin. Great leaders prevent action that’s at the expense of others.
59. Hard worker
You will never find them slacking. They work hard and they don’t give up.
60. Encouraging
They encourage their team. They don’t yell, condescend, or make anyone feel bad. Even if someone isn’t performing at their highest potential, the female leader will do their best to help them. They know that encouraging someone is much better for them than putting them down.
61. Thoughtful
They check in on their team. If a team member is struggling with something, the leader will offer a helping hand. The leader will often follow up and check-in just to see how their individual team members are doing. A great leader shows often that they genuinely care about their team members.
62. Ethical
They are ethical and they act according to their values. They always abide by best practices and they would never do something that would harm or endanger their team members. They always try to do the right thing.
63. Respected
Not only are good leaders respectful, but they are respected. Because of the way they act and carry themselves, people naturally come to respect them. They are natural role models.
64. Goal-oriented
They make goals and stay focused on those goals for the long term. They know that having a vision is one of the key things and drivers to success, and they make goals that get them closer to that vision.
65. Mentor
Great female leaders often mentor others. Because they have so much to offer, they are great mentors and are very good at helping others see their potential.
66. Understanding
They are understanding and reasonable. They always give people the benefit of the doubt.
67. Enthusiastic
They’re genuinely excited about what they do which makes the people around them excited as well.
68. Open
They are open to new ideas, viewpoints, opinions, etc. They aren’t closed-off because they know that other people often have ideas, viewpoints, etc. that are better and stronger than their own and as a team, everyone can benefit from hearing everyone out.
69. Interested
They are interested in the work at hand. They always want to learn more, and have a genuine liking for the work that they do each day.
70. Skilled
They are very skilled in a variety of areas. They likely know at least some information about many things. They are always working on leveling up their skillset and becoming even more experienced.
71. Constructive
Their criticism is always constructive. Let’s say for example that a female leader is participating in performance reviews. If they criticize their team member, it is likely because they see the potential in that person and they genuinely want to see them grow, not because they want to bring that person down. Their criticism is always constructive, positive, and encouraging.
7 Words To Describe Bad Female Leaders
Bad female leaders often possess one or more of these qualities.
1. Micro-managing
These are leaders that don’t give their team space to breathe and grow as individuals. A good leader trusts their employees to get the job done. They don’t feel the need to hover over their employees the entire time.
2. Dishonest
Team members want to be able to trust their leader. Trust takes forever to build and only a second to break.
3. Unreliable
If the team doesn’t feel like they can rely on their leader, they probably won’t want to be on the team for very long. A good leader must be helpful and reliable.
4. Favoritism
Fairness is very important. Poor leaders may favor one or two individuals, and this is never okay. Everyone should be treated equally.
5. Indecisive
When leaders are indecisive, their team is confused. When the team is confused, progress will not be made like it should be. Leaders have to make decisions quickly and then commit to those decisions.
6. Gossiper
Gossip makes a leader untrustworthy. Why would a team member want to say anything in confidence to their boss if they think their boss might tell someone else?
7. Untrustworthy
An untrustworthy leader makes people feel very on edge. Team members have to feel that they can fully trust their leader, or else their quality of work (and quality of their work-life) will surely be impacted.
Great Female Leaders Throughout History
Here are some of the most influential women leaders of today and throughout history who have held many different leadership roles. They are successful entrepreneurs, athletes, former first ladies, etc. who stand up for change and embody many of the words to describe female leaders.
1. Maya Angelou – An incredibly strong woman and poet who fought for racial equality.
2. Serena Williams – One of the best (if not, the best) female tennis players of all time who also used her platform to fight for gender and racial equality.
3. Ruth Bader Ginsberg – Former Supreme Court justice and intelligent woman who fought for women’s rights.
4. Eleanor Roosevelt – One of the most active first ladies in United States history who fought for various human rights.
5. Odunayo Eweniyi – Business leader, activist and cofounder of the Feminist Coalition which promotes equality and better opportunities for women in Nigeria.
This post was all about 71 words to describe female leaders.
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