In an economic climate where costs are rising, visibility is declining, and cash flow is becoming increasingly fragile for many companies, one phenomenon regularly comes up in my conversations with female leaders: talking about money has become more difficult. They often say ‘it's complicated,’ not because they lack financial skills, but because the current situation is exposing internal mechanisms that profoundly influence the way they manage their businesses.
Money is not just an accounting figure: it is an intimate relationship, shaped by history, culture, and inherited models. And for many female executives, this dimension takes on particular importance today.
Why female leaders have a different relationship with money
It's not a question of fragility or inferiority. It's the result of a dual inheritance: cultural and structural.
For a long time, women have been socialised to be cautious, to “do the right thing”, to be loyal to the group. They have been encouraged to be responsible, reliable, and reasonable—but rarely to plan financially, talk about money with confidence, or assert their company's economic ambitions. At the same time, economic environments remain largely built on masculine codes where financial performance is central, publicly discussed, and valued.
These two dynamics create a silent gap: female leaders start businesses, innovate, and take on ambitious projects... while often maintaining a more emotional relationship with money that is more closely tied to their identity than their male counterparts. This gap directly influences their ability to set prices, invest, negotiate, or structure a truly solid economic model.
The economic situation amplifies these mechanisms
When markets shrink, demand becomes erratic and pressure on cash flow increases, the relationship with money becomes a determining factor. What went unnoticed in more stable times—a reluctance to raise prices, heightened stress about ‘selling’, excessive caution about strategic investments, a tendency to accept too much customisation to reassure customers—suddenly becomes visible and impactful.
Some female leaders compensate by working harder to maintain balance, rather than reviewing the structure of their business model or financial position. They expend considerable energy to ‘hold on’, when the challenge lies not in extra effort, but in clarity of decision-making.
In an unstable environment, your relationship with money can either strengthen or weaken your business. It can either support management... or weigh it down.
A leadership issue, before being a financial issue
Improving your relationship with money is not a personal endeavour disconnected from business. It is, on the contrary, a leadership task.
Understanding what influences our financial decisions — inherited beliefs, fear of disappointment, desire to prove ourselves, need for security, loyalty to 'family' — allows us to regain control of our strategy. Leaders who work on this aspect make more informed decisions: they define more sustainable economic models, dare to structure their businesses so that they do not depend solely on them, and build a more stable long-term vision.
The more at ease a female leader is with money, the more discernment, confidence and foresight she gains—qualities that are particularly valuable in a period when everything seems to be moving very quickly.
A challenge for the sustainability of economic models
In the current uncertain climate, the companies that are doing best are not those that work harder, but those with a clearer approach: clear in their choices, their model, their relationship with risk, their connection with their market and the value they deliver.
For female leaders, this often means revisiting fundamental questions: Which business model is truly in line with me?
Do my products or services meet the current needs of my market?
Which commercial approaches are in line with my values?
Which prices truly reflect my value and my costs? What investments are necessary to stabilise or develop my business? And, above all: what aspects of my relationship with money influence how I respond to these questions?
When these questions are answered clearly, the business gains consistency. It becomes less dependent on external fluctuations and stronger in the face of changing economic situations.
Restoring money to its proper role to lead better
In these times of economic uncertainty, working on your relationship with money is neither a luxury nor a spiritual pursuit: it is a strategic skill.
It enables female leaders to make informed decisions, build a sustainable model, protect their cash flow and avoid burnout.
Money does not have to be ‘complicated’. It can become a clear, supportive, powerful tool — provided you look at it differently. And when female leaders reinvest it fully, they gain stability, leadership and the ability to navigate uncertainty with greater peace of mind.
Discover more articles from the Entrepreneurship community by clicking here.