During ancient Egyptian times, having strong pharaohs was essential to maintaining and growing civilization, as pharaohs were considered gods living. Although ancient Egyptian leadership was often dominated by men, there were admirable female pharaohs who managed to rise to power and leave behind positive legacies; Hatshepsut, meaning “the first of the noble women,” was one of the women to achieve this. His innovation and determination allowed him to maintain his position as pharaoh for around twenty years (1479-1458 BCE). Hatshepsut was considered a very successful leader due to her confidence and ambition, her magnificent construction projects, and the establishment of a strong business network. An essential characteristic of being a great leader, consistent among many, is confidence. A person can have ideas, but to realize them, one must have the confidence to bring those ideas to fruition. Hatshepsut presented herself as a very confident woman by taking the initiative to do things that only pharaohs usually did, such as performing certain religious rituals, making offerings directly to the gods, and commissioning various construction projects. These actions made it clear that she saw herself as important and powerful, and others soon believed this as well; she was considered the bride of God of Amen and became a priestess in temple rituals. Hatshepsut also represented herself as a man: she wore a kilt, a crown and had an artificial beard. This clearly shows that she had great ambition to become king, as she took on the daring task of creating a false persona just so she could achieve her goal. Despite the typically dominant male society, Hatshepsut showed that she could become... middle of paper... and was very proud of the business network she subsequently established. Hatshepsut was born into a wealthy and educated family; however, she demonstrated qualities innate in most great leaders. She was courageous, ambitious, confident and innovative. This allowed her to become the female pharaoh during the 18th Dynasty, and in a male-dominated society, this was considered an accomplishment among historians analyzing women in power. Hatshepsut's willingness to adopt the role of Pharaoh before her reign presents her as a strong and independent female leader. His construction projects and further establishment of trade had a positive impact on ancient Egypt socially, economically and intellectually by creating opportunities and further expanding its knowledge. Ultimately, Hatshepsut is considered a very successful and influential leader in ancient history..