Who is a Leader?
Is it someone with a title or a position, like Professor, or Chief or Head of Department or Committee chair?
For me, not necessarily. Although all those indicate Titular leaders, in my opinion, leaders are not just those with titles.
This quote from John Quincy Adams is what Leadership means to me:
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
If you are willing to step up to do what is necessary to make things better for everyone around you, you are a leader.
So many women physicians do that unconsciously, every day, and yet, we believe we are not leaders unless there is a title attached to our name.
Don’t get me wrong, we can make a huge difference when we do have a title. And yet, even if we don’t, we have the skills within us to be great leaders. It is a matter of recognizing and honing these skills.
So why should we hone our skills if we are not a titular leader?
Research shows over and over that companies and hospitals do a lot better when there are women in leadership. We bring a different voice and perspective and different strengths and therefore, a different way to problem-solve.
So essentially, we owe it to ourselves, our peers, our departments and our patients, to develop our leadership skills.
Here are 5 reasons why women physicians should aspire to be leaders:
- “Be the change you wish to see in the world“ Mahatma Gandhi
This is the number one reason you should want to be a leader. To effect change. No hospital or work place is perfect and all of us know the problems that exist in our individual work places. The only way you can effect change is to be proactive and lead the effort to change.
2. “Every organization I know of needs women in leadership positions. If you want the best for the specialty, you need to draw from everyone in that specialty; you can’t just draw from a narrow slice. Diversity at the top makes an organization stronger, flexible, and more resilient.” Gail L. Rosseau, MD
3.” Women leaders: Are more inclusive of team members; work to strengthen different personalities; foster innovation through collaboration.” Zuleyka Zevallos, PhD
Women have different strengths than men. We tend to have more of a team-based approach. We are better at ‘soft skills’ or ‘Emotional Intelligence”. What a waste to an organization if it doesn’t have it’s equal share of women leaders!
4. “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much” Helen Keller
Women physicians need other women physician mentors. We need inspiration from other women who have made it in this difficult journey.
5.”Never be afraid to take the lead if in your heart you know you have something to contribute and the skills to move others forward with you.” – Donna Parker, MD
So now that we know WHY, you may wonder HOW?
Learning from each other is a great way that has helped me.
Through this blog and podcast, I will be sharing my leadership struggles and triumphs, as well as those of many women physician leaders.
If you found this useful, get updates on new posts here.