6 Women in Leadership and Their Powerful Hairstyles

Female leaders, girl bosses, She-EOs – whichever you prefer, these terms refer to brilliant women in leadership. As the saying goes, “women hold up half the sky. ”These smart and confident women naturally slay in their fields. From politics and business to sports, art, and entertainment, no industry is exempt from female domination.

Women in leadership roles are naturally inspiring. They exude confidence and power the moment they enter a room and command presence in every conversation. Everything about them, from how they talk to their style – and yes, including the hair – leaves an impact. 

Contrary to popular belief, feminine leadership doesn't have a “template hairstyle.” You can have short, long, curly, straight, or colored hair and lead. It just needs to fit your sense of style while commanding respect and adapting to your needs. 

Check out these women in leadership positions who are at the top of their game and see how their hairstyles play into their image and career. 

Former banker Angeline Tham is the woman behind Angkas, the Philippines’ most popular motorcycle ride-hailing platform. The idea came to her after it took six hours to get to three different meetings in Manila. Today, Angkas has a 99.97% safety record, revolutionizing the habal-habal industry to make motorcycle taxis safer and more efficient. Leading a hip tech start-up is no joke, but this boss is ready with a gorgeous, on-the-go “lob” or long bob. It's motorcycle helmet-friendly, too.

Whitney Wolfe Herd revolutionized the dating scene when she founded Bumble, a dating app that allows women to make the first move. Since then, Bumble has expanded to allow users to create safe connections outside romance, such as friendship and professional networking.

A true advocate for women and gender empowerment, Whitney’s look embraces her feminine side, with a relaxed lob that she wears in easy waves. She also has honey-blonde highlights, which are quite on-brand.

Indian-born Indra Nooyi has broken several glass ceilings for women in the corporate world. She headed PepsiCo as CEO for 12 years – the first woman of color and immigrant to lead a Fortune 50 company. Her tenure introduced her as one of the world’s best strategic thinkers when she boosted PepsiCo’s profitability and improved the product during her leadership.

Nooyi took her bachelor’s degree and MBA in India before deciding she needed a more global education and studied at Yale School of Management, where she is the school’s largest donor. She has landed on Wall Street Journal’s 50 Women to Watch and TIME’s Top 100 Most Influential People in the World lists

Indra’s on-the-go, no-nonsense business attitude has given her somewhat of a signature look: her short hair. From a pompadour updo she used to sport most of her career to a more relaxed and textured pixie crop in her retirement years, she undoubtedly looks dignified and respected with her hairstyle.

Fashion multi-hyphenate Margaret Zhang made headlines when the then-27-year-old was announced as Vogue China’s newest editor-in-chief, the youngest EIC at Vogue around the world. With 1.1 million social media followers, the long-time fashion blogger (also a stylist, creative director, consultant, photographer, filmmaker, writer, and model) is tasked to turn a new and emerging generation of Chinese fashion fans into Vogue readers.

Is there anything Margaret can’t do? Her boundless energy and creativity show in her eclectic sense of style and a bright blue shock of hair that turns heads wherever she goes. If you want to show off your bubbly personality through your hair, just make sure to maintain those bright shades with TRESemmé Pro-Color Series Color Radiance Shampoo. It has anti-fade technology to keep the color sharp as well as jojoba oil to sustain moisture and shine.

Zainab Fasiki is a Moroccan mechanical engineer, artist, and activist who became known for her Hshouma project, a graphic novel that explores topics of gender identities and sexual orientations. She has since founded a collective that supports young women artists and continues to use her platform to destigmatize conversations about women’s lives and bodies. According to her, to achieve peace, “Our tools are art, literature, politics, philosophy, and love.”

A bold and independent thinker unafraid to go against the grain needs a hairstyle that matches her personality. Zainab wears a short, cheekbone-grazing bob with bangs, channeling French-girl confidence.

What are the chances of your favorite restaurant in Manila being under the Moment Group? Pretty huge. Abba Nappa is the co-founder and creative director of the successful restaurant collective, which calls brands such as Manam, Ooma, Mecha Uma, Mo’ Cookies, 8Cuts, and Bank Bar their own. She brings uniqueness and flair to each concept, just as she does to her versatile look. Abba wears her hair in bouncy layers and curls, a fitting and elegant style for a creative director in the F&B scene.

Who says politics can’t be cool and effective? Millennial Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin certainly makes the case for young and outstanding female leaders making a difference in their country, and we admire how she looks effortlessly stylish while running a nation. The Scandinavians have mastered the art of easy elegance, which shows in Marin’s hairstyle as she straddles the line between hip and proper.

Wearing medium-length hair in sleek and relaxed waves, we love how her go-to hairstyle looks sophisticated and befitting a leader of parliament without being too uptight. The youth can certainly do it!

Like this cool and confident leader, you can achieve a polished yet easy hairstyle without a stray strand in sight. The Cream Silk Triple Keratin Rescue Ultimate Repair & Shine Ultra Conditioner combines the benefits of three keratin products, including taming rebellious frizz with relaxers, reviving damaged locks with serum, and restoring extremely dull tresses with essence. Loosely style with a curling iron or rollers, and you’re good to go!

Selena Gomez is a class act. Since being diagnosed with lupus in 2014, she has not let her condition – or her critics – stop her. She continues to battle her autoimmune disease (and even received a kidney transplant in 2017 from her friend, Francia Raisa, while pushing back against the complications of her condition). She endured all these while going through a highly publicized breakup and criticisms about her weight and appearance. And still, she went on to release music and even starred in the award-winning show, Only Murders in the Building.

From singer, actress, and celebrity, she now adds beauty founder to the list as she launched Rare Beauty, a makeup brand championing inclusive beauty and aiming to break down unrealistic standards of perfection by helping people embrace their uniqueness. The queen of the lob, we love how Selena can take her hairstyle from sleek to curly, but we especially love this in-between look where she wears relaxed waves and pins them up with hair clips.

Modern, charismatic, and fabulous, these women in leadership know what it takes to succeed and look good while doing it. Take cues and wear your hair with confidence!