Leading Like EVA: The Female Family Leadership Model

Family firms promote the development and support of women leaders, who are increasingly involved in owner- ship, governance, and strategic decision-making. Thus, the impact of women’s involvement in family businesses has been extensively examined in scholarly literature. However, limited attention has been devoted to under- standing the defining characteristics of female leadership in such firms. The aim of this study is to explore and conceptualize the core characteristics of female leadership in family businesses, adopting a micro-level perspective that foregrounds women leaders’ lived experiences and leadership practices. To do so, we employ a qualitative multiple-case study design based on in-depth interviews with 10 female leaders of Italian fam- ily firms. Our findings identify a distinctive mode of female leadership composed of three interconnected and mutually reinforcing dimensions, conceptualized in the acronym EVA: Empathy, Vision, and Authenticity. This leadership approach is grounded in attentive listening, relational care, forward-looking orientation, and per- sonal coherence, enabling women leaders to integrate family and business logics while fostering both continuity and renewal. Importantly, the EVA model does not imply a gender-based predisposition; rather, it captures a leadership approach that emerges within the relational and socioemotional context of family firms. In doing so, this study offers meaningful contributions to both theory and managerial practice.