GRANSEE, GERMANY - MAY 03: Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin addresses the media during the first ... [+]
Finland’s charismatic 37-year-old prime minister, Sanna Marin, was recently voted out of office in national elections. Marin’s ouster follows the recent resignations of New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern and Scottish National Party First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Although Marin had served as PM since 2019, Ahern since 2017 and Sturgeon as First Minister since 2014, their departures raised questions about the hostility often encountered by women in politics, with Ardern noting she "no longer had enough left in the tank" to do the job justice.
The already narrow ranks of female politicians around the globe is thinner (and arguably duller) without the three leaders (we will not include the UK's Liz Truss, prime minister last autumn for a mere 46 days, in this cohort). But it would be an analytical error to attempt to draw deeper conclusions linking their fates, tempting though it may be.
Two explanations have predictably made the rounds: 1) the “go woke/go broke” argument, which asserts that leaders on the left are more likely to crash and burn, and 2) the notion that the harsh scrutiny imposed upon women in public life proved too much for these otherwise quite steely leaders, driving them out of office.
The woke/broke argument is especially misplaced in the case of Marin, who managed, as one of Europe’s youngest-ever prime ministers, to lead her country deftly through the pandemic and combine a bold, take-no-prisoners stance on confronting Putin with a disarming cool girl vibe. It’s hard to see what is “woke” about shepherding Finland to becoming NATO’s 31st member state—acceding to full membership of the security alliance in record time—and bringing an army with Europe's largest artillery capability along with her.
Furthermore, with Finnish public support for NATO membership at an all-time high of 80%, the notion that Marin's party was punished at the polls for joining NATO also doesn’t hold up. In fact, Marin herself remains highly popular in Finland, and her Social Democrats picked up seats in last week’s elections— just not as many as the conservative National Coalition party, which campaigned on a platform of budget discipline. Such is the fickleness of Europe's parliamentary political system, where in the case of Finland, 22 political parties competed for 200 seats.
In Sturgeon's case, since resigning from the Scottish National Party as First Minister, her husband, SNP Chief Executive Peter Murrell, has been arrested in connection with a party financing investigation. While Sturgeon's position on transgender rights puzzled many, her departure is better explained by the combination of her signature policy of Scottish Independence having taken a hit by a recent ruling prohibiting a second referendum and her party’s financing woes.
As for Ardern, who led New Zealand through the pandemic as well as national tragedies such as the 2019 Christchurch massacre to widespread acclaim with her trademark empathetic leadership style, a future career at the international level is already emerging. A new role as special envoy at the Christchurch Call, an organization bringing together tech companies and governments to fight online extremism, has just been announced, as well as a board seat on UK Prince William's Earthshot prize.
And what about the “mass exodus” of senior women in corporate roles reported by the "Women in the Workplace" report published by Lean In and McKinsey & Co, identified as a "Great Breakup" ? Is there a common driver?
Taken together, when we compare the trend of high-profile women leaving politics to that of senior women in executive roles in business, what is increasingly evident is this: Women in leadership positions are not stepping down so much as they are branching out, seeking new and different opportunities—often a combination of them.
The shift away from traditional leadership roles is unsurprising given the well-documented pressures on women in public life. But it signals less defeat than a sign of the changing times. In a post-Covid world with a re-balanced social contract still under construction and a renewed sense of priorities for many, it should come as no surprise that talented leaders—female or male—seek out new opportunities to lead.
Many women are choosing to become entrepreneurs, as was highlighted in the UK's Rose Report. In Britain, more women than ever are founding new companies—50% more than just 5 years ago.
The dearth of women in politics and corporate life presents a clear challenge, as diversity has been repeatedly linked with improved outcomes. But in the absence of compelling opportunities, it's unsurprising that the most talented leaders will create their own.
