The person sitting in the corner, forgetting a word mid-sentence and quietly asking to turn up the air conditioning, may actually be undergoing one of the most powerful leadership transitions of their career. Here, we discuss how organisations can recognise these great leaders who have the potential lead through complexity.
What do humans and killer whales have in common? They are among the only species that go through menopause.
It may seem like an unusual starting point for a discussion about leadership, but it is deeply relevant, says Heather Paterson, founder of Progression Lab, which helps organisations support women through menopause and build cultures that retain them.
Because if menopause is rare in nature, it immediately raises an obvious question: if evolution is so efficient, why would a species evolve a long post-reproductive lifespan at all? The short answer, Paterson says, is that it is an evolutionary strategy rather than a design flaw. Almost universally, older women become stabilisers and organisers – the ones doing the leadership work that keeps families and groups functioning.
In today’s multigenerational and matrix organisations, which are asking more of people than ever, often with fewer resources, tighter budgets and compressed timelines, they’re the leaders our life sciences organisations need right now.
An evolutionary step
This phenomenon is referred to as the ‘grandmother effect’, which has been researched extensively in evolutionary anthropology, finding that natural selection favoured a post-reproductive lifespan because older women contributed to the survival and reproductive success of their kin. This pattern isn’t unique to humans – evolutionary biologists have shown that toothed whales evolved in a similar way.
So while we are often sold the idea that menopause represents decline, in reality it is a transition: a temporary, biologically hard-wired shift that moves women into a new phase of cognitive and emotional capacity. In other words, to better leadership.
“When I started looking into the science, I was fascinated to discover that menopause is embedded in our DNA as part of our species’ survival. When women come out the other side, they are leaner, more focused and often better leaders than ever,” says Paterson.
“There is significant neurological learning that occurs during menopause. One of the biggest effects is increased emotional resilience; an improved ability to handle change, problem-solve and plan. And because you’re no longer being pulled in as many directions, you can become a more strategic and measured leader.”
Reframing menopause
What’s striking is how completely modern life has severed our connection to that evolutionary purpose. In a world that frames menopause as a decline, we’ve lost the older story: that this stage exists because it helped groups survive.
To a room full of capable, mid-career women frustrated by brain fog or disrupted sleep, this reframing can feel like a revelation. There’s often a collective jaw-drop when Paterson explains what is actually happening. And not just to the women themselves, but their colleagues and managers too.
This is why Paterson resists framing menopause as a set of symptoms to be managed. In her view, that approach reinforces the story that something is wrong. The more accurate story is that something is shifting, with a purpose and an outcome.
Digging into the neuroscience
As children grow, their brains undergo major structural changes. When higher-order thinking regions develop, the brain reorganises itself. Skills that have become automatic, such as tying shoelaces or brushing teeth, no longer require conscious effort. The brain prunes and reshapes neural pathways to make room for more complex development.
A similar process occurs in perimenopause, where the female brain undergoes significant reorganisation. Emerging neuroimaging research supports the idea that this is not simply a hormonal shift but a measurable neurological transition. A 2021 multi-modality brain imaging study found significant changes across the menopausal stages in grey matter volume, neural connectivity and brain energy metabolism. This is true particularly in regions linked to memory, executive function and emotional regulation. Importantly, these changes were distinct from normal chronological ageing and were associated specifically with endocrine transition.
More recent imaging research, reported in Scientific American, identified reductions in grey matter in areas such as the hippocampus and anterior cingulate during menopause, correlating with commonly reported symptoms such as memory lapses and mood changes. Together, these findings suggest that menopause involves structural and functional brain reorganisation.
In other words, the brain is not simply losing function, but reallocating resources, discarding what no longer needs to be effortful to make room for what comes next. Certain patterns that were once automatic begin to fall away. This is a strong asset for leadership, especially as one of those discarded behaviours is people-pleasing.
“During reproductive years, whether or not a woman has children, there is a strong biological drive towards nurturing, social cohesion and relational harmony. That drive can show up as smoothing conflict, accommodating others and carrying invisible emotional labour,” Paterson explains.
“As oestrogen declines, that intensity reduces. What often emerges instead is greater clarity about boundaries and priorities. There is less energy directed towards constant accommodation, and more directed towards purpose and self-definition.”
Paterson notes that it may look like reduced extroversion, but what’s often happening is a tightening of boundaries and a reduced drive to perform emotional labour.
Why we need these leaders now
While reduced emotional intensity often comes post-menopause, that does not equate to a loss of empathy – in fact, neuroscience finds the ability to understand and care about the feelings of others remains intact and may even strengthen.
“What shifts is the compulsion to absorb responsibility for everyone else’s emotional state,” Paterson explains.
Leadership becomes less about managing every detail and more about guiding. Many women report a marked increase in emotional resilience, particularly resilience to shame and negative judgement. Sensitivity to external approval decreases. At the same time, problem-solving, planning and emotional regulation often strengthen, Paterson says.
“When you look at the leadership challenges organisations face today, it’s not about information, which is abundant and accessible. What is scarce is judgement, steadiness and the ability to lead through complexity without being destabilised by every emotional current in the room,” Paterson explains.
And who has this adaptability, calm decision-making and strategic thinking, as well as the capacity to manage humans? Women in midlife.
Therefore, this this is not simply an issue for female leaders to navigate alone. It is something everyone needs to understand. Women before, during and after menopause and the men working alongside them sit at the centre of this important leadership discussion.
Reframing menopause through a leadership lens creates a genuine shift in perspective. It restores agency, reduces stigma and helps organisations capture the real power that this evolutionary advantage can bring to an organisation.
About Hunton Executive
Hunton Executive partners with healthcare and life sciences organisations to identify, develop, and appoint the next generation of leaders. We have a strong pool of top leadership talent across critical markets including Asia, Middle East, Australia, Europe and the US. Contact us for a confidential chat.