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

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGdKydHYnjo
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/KGdKydHYnjo
Generated: 2025-11-11T04:39:25.579+00:00

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## 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leadership success should be defined by human qualities like empathy, trust, honesty, and vulnerability, rather than outdated molds of authority and dominance.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intelligence, collaboration, and integrity drive results and create inclusive workplaces, contrasting with rigid, outdated leadership models.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.

![Screenshot at 00:58: The speaker presents the core theme of the talk by contrasting the outdated view of leadership with the need for human connection, symbolized by the title slide 'TEDxKIMEP Women Breaking Boundaries'.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/KGdKydHYnjo/00-00-58.png)

**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 She discusses the outdated perception of leadership, often associated with masculine traits like dominance, and advocates for a new definition centered on human qualities like empathy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.

### Introduction and Context

- Speaker Nazym Zhalmukhambet introduces herself and the topic, noting her thesis that success in business goes 'Beyond Money'
- She shares her early belief that leadership required toughness, contrasting it with her later realization of the value of human connection.

### Statistical Evidence for Educational Attainment

- Nazym highlights that women are earning more advanced degrees than men in the US, citing a 2023 Forbes study
- Women earn 67% of master's degrees and 55% of doctoral degrees.

### Personal Anecdote of Pressure

- The speaker recounts a time at age 21 leading a major project where she felt immense stress and fear of failure
- She felt pressure to conform to the idea that leaders must be tough, never cry, and never show weakness.

### The Flaw in Traditional Leadership

- Leadership defined by authority and dominance is outdated and requires women to squeeze into an unsuitable mold
- This old model fails to recognize qualities like empathy, trust, and vulnerability as leadership strengths.

### The New Paradigm of Leadership

- Effective modern leaders demonstrate that care, emotional intelligence, and collaboration drive results
- Jacinda Ardern's crisis leadership is cited as an example of leading with humanity and fostering trust.

### Call to Action

- The speaker challenges the audience to redefine leadership as being fundamentally human, emphasizing empathy, honesty, and vulnerability
- This authentic leadership style creates environments where employees feel heard, cared for, and perform better.

![Screenshot at 00:05: Speaker Nazym Zhalmukhambet taking the stage at the TEDxKIMEP event to deliver her talk on women's leadership.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/KGdKydHYnjo/00-00-05.png)
![Screenshot at 00:27: Speaker introducing the statistical context, noting that nearly 40% of women in the US hold bachelor's degrees surpassing men.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/KGdKydHYnjo/00-00-27.png)
![Screenshot at 00:58: Title slide graphic for the event, themed 'Women Breaking Boundaries,' setting the stage for the discussion.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/KGdKydHYnjo/00-00-58.png)
![Screenshot at 01:22: Speaker detailing the inherent contradiction where women outperform men academically but are underrepresented in leadership.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/KGdKydHYnjo/00-01-22.png)
![Screenshot at 02:32: Speaker sharing the personal challenge: the internal conflict of feeling like she wasn't suited for leadership roles.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/KGdKydHYnjo/00-02-32.png)
![Screenshot at 03:45: Visual of the speaker passionately describing the collaborative success achieved with her team despite her initial struggles.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/KGdKydHYnjo/00-03-45.png)
![Screenshot at 05:15: Speaker noting that leadership is changing, signaling a shift toward new, more inclusive models.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/KGdKydHYnjo/00-05-15.png)
![Screenshot at 06:39: Speaker emphasizing that true leadership is about being human, citing Jacinda Ardern's empathetic crisis management as an example.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/KGdKydHYnjo/00-06-39.png)
![Screenshot at 09:21: Speaker recounting how her team rallied around her during a difficult project because they saw her passion and dedication, not her fear.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/KGdKydHYnjo/00-09-21.png)