Over the past several decades, women have taken on an increasingly prominent role in business, entrepreneurship, and public life. More women are leading companies, building businesses, participating in strategic decision-making, and shaping economic agendas. At the same time, the very concept of leadership is evolving. Today, discussions increasingly focus not only on achievements and career milestones but also on resilience, quality of life, emotional intelligence, and the ability to adapt to change. We spoke with psychologist, sinologist, and intercultural communications expert Ksenia Razova, who has lived and worked in China for more than twenty years, about the changing nature of women’s leadership, the hidden cost of achievement, and what different cultures can learn from one another.


— Over the last few years, the conversation around women’s leadership has changed significantly. While discussions once focused primarily on career advancement and representation, they now increasingly include emotional resilience, well-being, and work-life integration. What is driving this shift?

— I believe we are witnessing a natural stage in social development. The first decades of the movement toward equal opportunities focused on access to education, leadership positions, entrepreneurship, and decision-making roles. Those conversations were essential and helped create opportunities that previous generations often did not have.

However, once those opportunities became available, another reality emerged. Modern women are often expected to excel simultaneously as executives, entrepreneurs, mothers, partners, and emotional anchors for their families. As a result, a new question has appeared: what is the real cost of success? This is why the conversation is gradually shifting from the number of achievements to the quality of life. People are increasingly interested not only in whether someone succeeds, but whether that success is sustainable over the long term.

— According to the World Economic Forum and the United Nations, women are playing an increasingly important role in economic development and leadership worldwide. At the same time, different regions continue to debate what modern female leadership should look like. How universal are these conversations?

— Despite cultural differences, I see remarkably similar trends across countries. Women today have unprecedented access to education, entrepreneurship, and leadership opportunities. This is true not only in Europe and North America but also across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

Yet as opportunities expand, a common challenge emerges: how can women maintain resilience while carrying growing responsibilities? In my view, the global conversation is gradually moving beyond access and representation toward questions of leadership quality and quality of life. Increasingly, women are asking not only how to achieve success, but how to preserve their identity, health, and well-being in the process. That shift is one of the most important social developments of our time.

— Your professional career has taken place across different cultures and countries. What observations have you made about the role of women during your years in China?

— What has always struck me is how similar women’s concerns are, regardless of geography. Of course, cultural differences exist. In some countries women are more actively involved in business, while in others traditional family structures remain stronger. Attitudes toward career, marriage, and family can vary considerably.

Yet the fundamental questions remain the same: how do I maintain my sense of self under pressure? How do I combine professional ambition with personal fulfillment? How do I remain effective without reaching emotional exhaustion? Women across the world are increasingly seeking ways to integrate success and well-being rather than choosing between them. That desire for balance is becoming one of the defining characteristics of modern female leadership.

— Researchers often speak about the emergence of a new leadership model built less on competition and more on collaboration, empathy, and trust-building. Do you see this trend as well?

— Absolutely. For decades, leadership was associated with control, decisiveness, speed, and the ability to withstand pressure. However, modern organizations operate in environments that are far more complex than before, and linear models of leadership are becoming less effective.

As a result, qualities that were once considered secondary are becoming increasingly valuable: the ability to build trust, listen to diverse perspectives, navigate uncertainty, and create resilient teams. In my work with women leaders, I increasingly see effectiveness measured not by toughness, but by the resilience of the systems and relationships leaders are able to create. Sustainable leadership is becoming more important than performative strength.

— Many experts argue that as opportunities for women expand, social expectations grow as well. Do you agree?

— Absolutely. One of the great paradoxes of the past twenty years is that women have gained more freedom than ever before while simultaneously facing a growing list of expectations. Today, professional success alone is no longer considered sufficient. Women are expected to be emotionally intelligent, physically attractive, self-aware, supportive partners, excellent mothers, and continuously engaged in self-improvement.

This creates a state of constant pressure. That is one reason why topics such as recovery, emotional well-being, and personal resources have become so important. They are, in many ways, a response to levels of overload that were normalized for far too long.

— Having lived in China for more than two decades, what differences stand out most when comparing Eastern and Western approaches to women, motherhood, and personal well-being?

— One of the most striking differences is the attitude toward recovery. In many societies, success is still associated with speed, productivity, and the ability to return to normal life as quickly as possible after major life events. In China, there is a different philosophy. Greater importance is placed on preserving personal resources and allowing time for recovery after significant transitions.

At the same time, modern China presents an interesting paradox. Traditional expectations continue to coexist alongside rapid modernization. For example, there is still public discussion around the concept of sheng nü — literally “leftover women” — referring to highly educated women who remain unmarried beyond a certain age. At the same time, Chinese women are increasingly successful in business, science, and leadership positions. Observing these dynamics provides valuable insight into how societies negotiate changing gender roles.

— You often speak about the Chinese postpartum recovery tradition known as zuo yuezi. Why do you believe this practice has relevance beyond China?

— Because it reflects a broader philosophy. For approximately one month after childbirth, a woman is given the opportunity to focus entirely on recovery. Family members and healthcare professionals provide support, and the need for recovery is never questioned.

For me, the most important aspect is not the ritual itself but the principle behind it. Modern societies tend to focus heavily on achievement, productivity, and efficiency. Far less attention is paid to the restoration of personal resources. The Chinese approach reminds us that recovery is not a luxury and certainly not a weakness. It is a necessary condition for long-term resilience.

This idea is closely connected to another important Chinese concept: yangsheng (养生), which can be translated as “nurturing life.” It reflects a philosophy of maintaining health and vitality over the long term rather than simply reacting to problems once they emerge. In many ways, it offers a useful framework for thinking about sustainable leadership and personal well-being.

— In recent years, more women have begun openly discussing motherhood, burnout, and emotional overload. Why have these topics become so visible?

— I believe society is gradually moving away from the ideal of perfection. For a long time, successful people were expected to display only outcomes. Women, in particular, often felt pressure to appear as though everything came naturally and effortlessly.

Today there is a growing interest in the reality behind success. When women openly discuss the challenges of motherhood, emotional exhaustion, or the need for support, they make visible experiences that previously remained hidden. This is a healthy development because it creates a more honest conversation and helps reduce unrealistic expectations that many women have carried for years.

— You have studied Buddhist philosophy and traditional Chinese medicine. Which ideas from Eastern thought do you believe are most relevant today?

— Above all, the idea of wholeness. Modern society tends to divide life into categories: career, health, relationships, and personal development. Eastern traditions tend to view the individual as an integrated system, recognizing that emotional well-being, physical health, and professional performance are deeply interconnected.

I believe this is one reason why interest in mindfulness, stress management, and inner balance continues to grow globally. People are increasingly recognizing that resilience cannot be built solely through discipline or willpower. Long-term well-being requires a more holistic approach.

— Many organizations now include employee well-being in their corporate strategies. To what extent is resilience becoming part of modern leadership?

— I believe it is one of the defining leadership trends of the coming decade. Leadership was once associated primarily with endurance — the ability to withstand more pressure than others. Today, adaptability, clarity of thinking, emotional self-regulation, and the ability to support the resilience of a team are becoming equally important.

As a result, emotional intelligence, psychological safety, and communication skills are no longer viewed as “soft skills.” They are becoming essential leadership competencies and increasingly important factors in organizational success.

— Looking ahead, how do you see women’s leadership evolving over the next decade?

— I believe we are moving toward a more mature model. For many years, women focused on proving that they could lead just as effectively as men. In many respects, that stage has already passed.

The next chapter is not about proving capability. It is about defining leadership on new terms. Future leaders will be distinguished by their ability to unite people, navigate complexity, manage long-term change, and remain resilient during periods of uncertainty. The ability to build trust, foster collaboration, and create resilient systems is becoming a competitive advantage not only for women leaders, but for organizations as a whole.

Ultimately, the future of leadership is not simply a conversation about women. It is a conversation about how leadership itself is evolving in an increasingly complex world.