You don’t have to be a man to be a point man, you just have to take charge. A point man takes responsibility for a major project. In the military, the point man is the first soldier on a patrol.
Taking responsibility is one part of being a point man. In politics, the term is often used to mean "person in charge," like the Secretary of State, who sometimes acts as the president's point man for foreign relations. Point man was originally "soldier who goes ahead of patrol," or sometimes "the commanding officer." During a battle, the point man's position is the most vulnerable and exposed.