Irina Tatarinova, Brand Director at Flowwow.There is a common misconception that an empathetic management style is a sign of softness or indecision. In reality, it’s a real advantage, when a leader is willing to build an atmosphere where individuals feel cherished and, thus, succeed.
A big challenge in my career was learning to navigate the boundary between personal emotion and business objectives.
My career began at the intersection of two seemingly parallel worlds: psychology and marketing. As I moved from SMM to shaping our global brand strategy, I soon realised that a desire to ‘hack’ how emotions drive consumer choices and build real connections is a must to any successful teamwork, campaign, strategy, whatever.
Psychology gave me this lens, and over time, it became the foundation for how I approach both brand building and my growth as a leader. It highlighted to me that a great power in female leadership is more about the freedom to bring creativity and empathy into an industry often dominated by cold logic.
Female representation on the boards of listed companies has jumped from 3.5 per cent to 14.8 per cent in just five years.
While we’re seeing more and more successful examples of female leadership across the globe, the transformation within the UAE is particularly impressive. Women are now reaching the next step of the business landscape, not just taking middle positions, but seriously bringing something new to the table.
Empathy as cultural currency
Since Flowwow entered the UAE market a little more than three years ago, I have watched the local work culture evolve from rigid hierarchies toward leadership rooted in connection and support. I believe this is tightly connected with women-leaders stepping into entrepreneurship, bringing a different leading style and lots of fresh decisions.
Starting with January 2025, every private joint-stock company in the UAE is required to have at least one woman on its board. This government-led vision has fueled a fourfold increase in female corporate representation. Furthermore, 18 per cent of all entrepreneurs in the UAE are now women, with nearly 78 per cent of these businesses led by women under forty.
When we first expanded into the Emirates, we started learning the cultural nuances, building trust from scratch, and experimenting with which local tools would resonate. That’s when we found out that the DNA of the UAE places a high value on empathy and compassion.
We can see this from emotionally tailored content bringing better long-term results, even when the immediate ROI isn’t the primary focus.
For entrepreneurs entering this space, my advice is to choose the non-linear path. Success here lies in fostering a business culture that is quite open for experimenting and is flexible to the tailored change. That’s exactly what women leaders bring to the table, as they balance human context with business goals. By listening to the environment before trying to change it, you’ll find that empathy isn’t just a sentiment – it’s a powerful driver of long-term loyalty and results.
Leadership from the inside out
In the early days of my career, the industry was obsessed with cold metrics. It was hard to imagine then that empathy could be a driver of business results. But it is now.
Empathetic leadership requires freedom, with space for intuition and emotional intelligence leading to genuine diversity. And I’ve seen it work so many times.
In my team, there’s almost no turnover – over 90 per cent of our staff join and stay for over three years. We prioritise growing talent from within. For example, one of our team members in influence marketing was performing well but felt stuck in a routine.
By noticing her desire to create beyond her role and moving her into special projects, we both unlocked a new level of creativity and made an employee a bit happier by recognising that potential and offering new opportunities.
Collaborate, communicate, connect
Having people around is important at every step of your career. Still, the higher you climb, the lonelier it usually gets, and that’s a great struggle for those who get to leadership roles. This is why, I guess, entrepreneurial communities are so widespread, giving heads a space where people can discuss real problems without the pressure of appearing perfect.
I believe female communities carry a unique energy full of honesty and total acceptance. Finding that supportive network and remaining true to oneself is the ultimate key to leadership development.
In the UAE, 84 per cent of women consider starting their own business. And that’s not because the traditional barriers have completely vanished, but because their drive has become more powerful than the obstacles. The power of a community with its potential to support, motivate, and teach is endless.
I always encourage women to seek out competent mentors and like-minded circles to make informed decisions, learn while avoiding the unnecessary setbacks that come with going it alone, and stay true to their own leadership.
By Irina Tatarinova, Brand Director at Flowwow.
