Are Women Too Emotional to Lead?

Why some messages are best delivered by women.

“Kathleen, we are too emotional to lead.”

Her declaration caught me off guard, especially since it came from someone who is dedicated to guiding other women in their spiritual growth. It was a sentiment I was all too familiar with, but hearing it from a woman stung. I felt what I can only describe as betrayal.

I’ve occasionally heard from men that no woman should hold a position of authority, religious or secular, because she will be guided by feelings instead of logic, implying that emotions are a liability in decision-making while logic is a strength.

Honestly, I don’t enjoy hearing this from anyone, but I really don’t want that message delivered by a woman.

My main focus in this article is how women are perceived in a religious setting; however, the belief that women are “soft” or irrational also persists in business, social, and political circles.

“A 2019 study from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce found that about 13% of men and women still have doubts about women’s emotional suitability for politics. That’s … 1 in 8 people.”¹

That translates to around 43 million Americans who believe women are temperamentally unsuited for positions of power. That’s a lot.

This perception is closely tied to cultural and biblical interpretations of women's roles.

But is it true?

Mirjam (Miriam) | Anselm Feuerbach

More importantly, is it biblical? At the end of the day, what matters most to me is not what I think or what my friend thinks but what God thinks. After many years studying women in the Bible, I haven’t found any Scripture that dictates women are temperamentally unsuited for governance—in any capacity.

So, maybe we should look closer at what emotions really are and how they work.

Plutchik’s Emotion Wheel

Plutchik’s theory, better known as the Wheel of Emotions, suggests there are eight basic emotions that can combine to create more complex feelings. They are:

Joy | Trust | Fear | Surprise | Sadness | Disgust | Anger | Anticipation

Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions (researchgate.net)

Plutchik explains that emotions can blend and shift in intensity, kind of like colors on a wheel. For example, joy mixed with trust can lead to love, while fear combined with surprise might turn into anxiety. According to him, these emotions are all connected, and understanding how they interact can help us manage them more effectively.²

Stereotypes of Gender-Assigned Emotions

I won't burden you with examples of how emotions like anger are often considered “male,” while fear and sadness are labeled as “female.” I'm pretty sure you're already aware. The truth is that everyone experiences the full range of emotions to a certain degree, regardless of gender, and overlooking this can lead to serious misunderstandings—especially in leadership.

Pixar | Wiki Fandom | Anger & Sadness

Harnessing the full spectrum of emotions is vital for effective management. In fact, an article from The Harvard Business Review found that a lack of emotional expression can be more detrimental to a leader's effectiveness than displaying too much.³

I found that rather validating. 😊

Despite being characterized as more emotional and, therefore, weaker than men, women are generally more adept at communicating their feelings. This ability to navigate complex emotions demonstrates strength and is essential in management positions.

Rethinking Traditional Roles

Many in my faith community—both men and women—have questions about Bible passages like 1 Timothy 2:12 and 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, which, on the surface, seem to prohibit women from leadership. For much of my Christian life, I viewed these Scriptures as an inflexible blueprint for womanhood, overlooking their place in time and culture.

While I may explore them further later, I recommend Lisa Johnson’s Made for Mutuality,⁴ in the meantime. You can find it HERE.

“The principles of mutuality can be applied in … all walks of life. Our goal … is to help us realize the dream of a church being a community with no barriers.”

—Lisa Johnson, Portland Church of Christ

Lisa’s work underscores the need to rethink women’s roles in the church, highlighting how vital these discussions are for creating healthier, more inclusive faith communities.

We're not the only ones discussing whether women are emotionally fit to lead. NT Wright, a world-renowned New Testament scholar, presents a compelling case for allowing women to lead and pastor churches. While not all women are called to this role, he argues that there should be no barriers for those who are. In the Ask NT Wright Anything podcast, he asserts that Jesus answered with a clear and resounding “Yes!”—long before the question was even posed. ⁵ (Video linked below.)

Portions of the following are inspired by Dr. Wright’s insights.

A Divinely Radical Act

Jesus didn’t debate the issue or provide even the barest rationale that some Bible experts offer. He simply delegated a task legally reserved for men to women, subtly challenging the men’s assumptions—which they naturally did, given their place in time and culture.

This unorthodox moment began with the angel at the tomb, who delivered a surprising, counter-cultural command:

⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. …. ⁷ … go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. ….’

—Matthew 28:5-7, NIV (emphasis mine)

Fresco | Archangel Gabriel Outside Jesus’ Tomb | 1235

Angels, who serve as messengers from God with the authority of heaven, delegated the first gospel mission to three women—without explanation or justification—as though it were perfectly normal to entrust a member of the “fairer sex” with such important news. It wasn’t.

Jesus then affirmed the groundbreaking directive:

⁸ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

—Matthew 28:8-10 NIV (emphasis mine)

Breaking Well-Established Tradition

Any other self-respecting, Torah-observant, recently resurrected Israelite would have traveled over hill and dale to find a man—a priest, a Pharisee, or even a little boy—to share the Good News of his return to life, rather than commissioning a woman for the task.

By choosing Joanna and two Marys⁶ as the first witnesses to His resurrection, both the angel and Jesus turned societal and religious norms upside down. In first-century Judaism, women couldn’t testify in court or speak in the Temple, which severely limited their voices in a religion-focused society. Yet, they were chosen to share vital information with men, even though their implied authority as messengers would have been highly inappropriate.

Not surprisingly, the apostles weren’t used to women being entrusted with important news—particularly something as critical as this—the pivotal event in all Christianity.

“But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.”

—Luke 24:11, NIV

Even though, as Jesus reminded them, His life, death, and resurrection were clearly predicted—starting with Moses and continuing through the writings of the Prophets. (Lk 24:27)

I’d bet the women weren’t used to being messengers either, but it appears they got the hang of it pretty quickly. 😉

Not just making a point.

I don’t think Jesus was being subversive merely to elevate women; perhaps He recognized that this momentous message was best suited for those who could uniquely convey its nuances. Who better than women to share such profound news, given their ability to express the emotional depth of the occasion?

While the three women were likely overwhelmed with joy—and a little fear—both fitting responses—they were more than capable of sharing the Good News accurately and with genuine feeling.

Some messages are just better delivered by women.

A Legacy of Cultural Resistance

It wasn’t until Jesus appeared to a few men that the apostles accepted He was truly alive. Given the entrenched patriarchy of the time, it would have been more surprising if they had accepted the women’s testimony without question.

Enlisting Joanna, Mary, and Mary to share the news of His resurrection was revolutionary, yet its full implications have yet to be embraced—in Jesus' time or ours. What if their commission represented a bold course correction toward equality in a patriarchal world? What if, in that moment, Jesus signaled that everyone, regardless of gender, could fulfill His mission from the very beginning of this new kingdom?

Charging women with sharing the cornerstone of our Christian faith reflects His confidence in our abilities—not despite our emotional makeup, but because of it.

And what is the heart of Christian leadership if not to convey the very Good News that Jesus lives?

That’s all I have for today.

1. May the Best Woman Win?

2. The Emotions, R. Plutchik, University Press of America, (1991)

3. How Emotional Intelligence Became a Key Leadership Skill

4. “Mutuality” is a reciprocal relationship in which both parties share authority, responsibilities, and influence equally.

5. Ask NT Wright Anything: Can Women Preach?

6. Mary Magdalene & Mary, the mother of James