The power of women’s leadership | Nazym Zhalmukhambet | TEDxKIMEP Women

Quick Overview

Nazym Zhalmukhambet concludes that leadership success is not defined by traditional masculine traits like dominance or invincibility, but by human qualities such as empathy, trust, honesty, and vulnerability, which create environments where people feel valued, drive better results, and foster collaboration.

Key Points: Nazym Zhalmukhambet argues that leadership success should be defined by human qualities like empathy, trust, honesty, and vulnerability, rather than outdated molds of authority and dominance. She cites 2023 Forbes research showing women earn 67% of master's degrees and 55% of doctoral degrees in the US, yet they are still underrepresented in leadership roles. The speaker shares a personal story of feeling immense pressure and fear during a major project when she was only 21, fearing failure because she believed leaders should not show emotion. Effective modern leaders prove that care, emotional intelligence, collaboration, and integrity drive results and create inclusive workplaces, contrasting with rigid, outdated leadership models. She contrasts the old definition of leadership (authority/dominance) with the needed leadership (empathy/trust), citing Jacinda Ardern as an example of leading with care during the COVID-19 crisis. The speaker challenges the audience to redefine leadership by supporting and uplifting women who lead with vulnerability and human connection.

Context: Nazym Zhalmukhambet delivers a TEDx talk at TEDxKIMEP Women event, titled "Women in Business: Success Beyond Money." She discusses the outdated perception of leadership, often associated with masculine traits like dominance, and advocates for a new definition centered on human qualities like empathy and vulnerability, citing her personal experience and external research to support her argument for a more inclusive leadership style.

Detailed Analysis

Nazym Zhalmukhambet opens her talk by acknowledging the audience and her own initial nervousness before pivoting to her main thesis: the definition of successful leadership is changing, moving beyond traditional, masculine traits of dominance and authority. She supports this by noting that women in the US are academically outperforming men in advanced degrees (67% of master's, 55% of doctoral degrees as of 2023 Forbes research), yet remain underrepresented in leadership. Zhalmukhambet shares a vulnerable personal anecdote from when she was 21 and leading a major project alongside university figures like Vice President Artyr Volusion and President Zharkhan. During this high-pressure time, she felt immense stress because she believed leaders must be tough and never show weakness, leading her to feel overwhelmed and nearly break down. She realized that her team trusted her and performed better when she acted authentically, leading with care, empathy, and vulnerability, rather than attempting to project an image of invincibility. She contrasts this with old leadership molds, citing Jacinda Ardern's leadership during the COVID-19 crisis as an example of leading with care and humanity, which fostered trust and better outcomes. The speaker concludes by challenging the audience to redefine leadership as something based on being truly human—caring, honest, and vulnerable—rather than demanding power and control, as these human qualities are what modern workplaces need to thrive.