A group of seasoned healthcare leaders spoke about their leadership styles, what they've learned over the years and the latest research findings about women in the C-suite.
Panelists included Ruth Brinkley, president and CEO of Louisville-based KentuckyOne Health, Barbara Paul, MD, senior vice president and CMO of Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems, Barb Martin, president and CEO of Vista Health System in Waukegan, Ill., and Lindsey Dunn, editor in chief of Becker's Hospital Review. The discussion was moderated by Paula Lovell, founder and CEO of Lovell Communications in Nashville, Tenn.
The panelists each brought their perspectives to answer the question of whether science behind women's leadership styles, suggesting they are more collaborative and relationship-focused, is a gift at this time in healthcare when organizations are increasingly expected to cooperate toward common goals.
"It's the question of, is it just my personality or how I was socialized as a little girl?" said Dr. Paul. "I don't spend much time asking that of myself, but I think it's a fair question. I lead better through influence than the boss-staff setup. Some of it is probably my own basic temperaments, and of course my training in medical school and some element is the fact that I'm a woman. I do think I tend to sit back in meetings a bit more than men do, but I do think my impact in the company is greater because of that style."
Ms. Brinkley also said she has a direct but relationship-focused leadership style, which has had its benefits in a newly formed system like KentuckyOne. The system was born in 2012 from the combination of two distinct hospitals and religious heritages, plus the addition of a secular hospital in 2013.
"Coming into an organization that was as tumultuous as KentuckyOne required someone who was a consensus builder. I think you needed someone, and probably a woman, to build consensus. I believe what women have that others sometimes don't is the ability — this may be a higher-level [trait] — to know what's going on around [them]. To know what is being said, sometimes, is as important as knowing what is being [left] unsaid."
Ms. Dunn spends a fair amount of time reading about how gender plays into leadership roles, and she said research has shown women are more likely to have collaborative leadership qualities then men.
"The question is: Does that make women better leaders? Research shows probably not. We need situational leaders," said Ms. Dunn. "Healthcare organizations need to build partnerships and collaborations. I think that's a great avenue to let these leadership traits that women are more inclined to have, [since] they come more naturally to women, shine."
The women also talked about the need for humility and compassion — especially toward oneself. Ms. Dunn said it takes confidence to have humility. To say, "I don't know what I'm doing. I need some help from my team," takes a certain kind of trust in oneself.
Ms. Martin from Vista Health agreed: "I think humility is everything. As CEO, there's nothing wrong with apologizing and saying [to a physician], 'You know, we screwed up.' That will take you a lot further than going down the road of defending an offensive behavior."
Ms. Brinkley wrapped up the panel with her advice for other women who are planning to make careers in healthcare management or administration: "Have a life plan that includes your career. You are the CEO of you. No one will be more interested in you than you. Collect people as you go along, have a personal board. But you have to guide your own career path and life."
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