WOMEN IN ACADEMIC EM
Charting Your Course for Leadership By Wendy C. Coates, MD
SAEM PULSE | MARCH-APRIL 2022
This article first appeared in the December 2021 issue of AWAEM Newsletter.
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If you ask a group of middle schoolers to describe what a leader looks like, chances are you’ll hear all sorts of adjectives like, “strong, big, forceful, popular, athletic, smart, aggressive… male.” Historically, women with equivalent or superior credentials have experienced barriers to leadership roles, but in 2022, women have more opportunities than ever to travel existing avenues to leadership or pave their own paths, drawing on life experiences to gain traction and develop expertise. This article highlights practical tips to harness your inner leadership style, devise your roadmap to leadership, and set goals to define your success as a leader. You may want to grab a notebook and reflect on how you relate
“Your values guide your leadership style.” to these scenarios. Can you think of a similar time in your life? Using these reflections, you can envision your role as the leader you want to be and chart your course to get there.
to do what you believed in. Leading by example is a tried-and-true strategy. Your values guide your leadership style.
Myth 1: “I’ve never been given the opportunity to lead.”
Fact 2: Quiet actions demonstrate your leadership!
Fact 1: You’ve always been a leader!
Example: An elderly patient cries out urgently in the busy emergency department (ED), “Nurse, nurse, I need the bedpan!” Your female medical student and resident authoritatively point out to the patient, “I am not the nurse, I am your doctor. I will tell your nurse.” Observing this scene, you quietly collect a bedpan, walk to the patient’s bedside, draw the curtain and provide
Example: In elementary school, you get along with all the girls in your class. Suddenly, a new girl joins in 3rd grade and your friends imply that you should join them in ignoring her. Instead, you risk your comfortable position in the crowd and invite the girl to play with you, even though the other girls glare at you disapprovingly. You had the courage
Myth 2: “Leaders must be forceful and stand their ground.”
