A Leader doesn’t have to wear prada

Here we are, in the middle of 2020. A year that by all means, won’t be forgotten. A lot has changed, and there are undoubtedly a lot more changes to come.

If you do a Google search for “leadership” the majority of images show white men in suits. They are climbing a mountain or rowing the boat with their team; they are pulling some cord or pointing decisively in a direction. There are some women too and some people of color, but let’s be clear, leadership still seems to look like white, middle-aged men at the top of the ladder. 

And even now, if we close our eyes and imagine what a leader looks like, they are still wearing a suit, at least sometimes the suit is gorgeous, made by Prada and combined with fabulous high heels. Recent theories are redefining the skill set that a good leader needs, but we are still far from imagining women (the ones that don’t necessarily lead multimillion-dollar international companies) when asked about leadership; even if those women might be the greatest example of having what it takes.

This COVID19 crisis has shown, in a very clear way, how leadership is made of the things that society boost in women: