Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/772284
13 13 CEO/STRATEGY internal audit found women applied for a promotion only when they believed they met 100 percent of the qualifications listed for the job, whereas men applied when they believed they could meet 60 percent of the job requirements. e CEO of a 150-bed hospital in the Southeast agreed with the state- ment that men are promoted based on potential whereas women are promoted based on demonstrated value. "It's real, it's true. I think that comes from almost an unconscious bias," she said. "It's how men were brought up in leadership." e phenomenon the CEO described among her male colleagues is a real psychological concept called honest overconfidence. Ernesto Reu- ben, PhD, an associate professor at Columbia Business School, published a 2011 study that found men consistently rated their performance on a set of math problems about 30 percent better than it really was, whereas women inflated their performance by half that. Overall, a series of relat- ed studies suggested men are naturally and subconsciously inclined to overstate their past accomplishments compared to women. Few people strive to toot their own horn, yet this act is especially un- seemly and uncharacteristic of women. e same collaborative work style many women exhibit with a sense of pride can cause difficulty when it comes to accepting praise, taking credit or highlighting their accomplishments at an individual level. "Women tend to be about teams and advocating for their team ver- sus advocating for themselves," said the vice president of research for an 820-bed teaching hospital on the East Coast. Studies have indeed found women who work on mixed-gender teams tend to fall into the "we" trap, meaning they are more likely to credit success to the team versus acknowledging their own contributions or role unless it was explicitly clear. Battling perfectionism Perfect is the enemy of good, as the saying goes. Yet despite the ubiq- uity of this phrase, many women struggle with perfectionism from the classroom throughout their professional lives. Several women in the room detailed their own struggles with perfectionism and the need to constantly prove and outperform oneself. Women's need to have 100 percent of the qualifications to apply for a job is one example, but there are smaller illustrations of it, too. Until they are absolutely certain of an outcome with little risk of fail- ure, those battling perfectionism are less likely to answer the question raised in a meeting, ask for a raise, submit the report or sign up for the marathon. Perfectionism is even evident among young girls, who are more likely to spend time perfecting their handwriting while boys in the classroom are prone to "just scribbling it down," as a 2013 qualita- tive study out of the U.K. education system found. e lifelong quest for perfection and 100 percent costs women time and opportunities compared to their male counterparts who see 60 percent as worth taking a shot. "I do feel at times I have to be 100 percent, because I will be challenged consistently," said the chief information privacy and security officer with a 10-hospital system in the Midwest, who is also African-Ameri- can. "I have to be top-notch and even better than that, and continuously prove my expertise in this space. You overly have to convince people and then sustain it." Bringing others up e need to mentor and advocate for other women emerged and re- emerged consistently throughout the 120-minute discussion. Interest- ingly, many women emphasized their instinct to seek out up-and-com- ing leaders who may not think of themselves as seasoned enough for a certain title, responsibility or salary. ey specifically look for profes- sionals who may still consider themselves "green" at their job. Given their remarks about the gendered confidence gap they've expe- rienced and observed in the C-suite, these female executives want to tap young women on the shoulder and put them in leadership roles — "even when they're not quite sure they're ready for it," said the presi- dent and CEO of two hospitals within a seven-hospital system. "Seeing bright eyes and intrinsic talent — it's all about taking that risk and say- ing, 'I'll be there to back you up.'" It's important to advocate for young talent to assume high-level roles, but equally as crucial is standing by an up-and-comer once she lands the job. Several executives looked back on their own careers and cred- ited a seasoned leader who trusted them with responsibility and de- cisions, and most importantly, patiently waited throughout their fits and starts. Since many women battle with perfectionism and veer away from risk-taking, an advocate who stands by a woman through her mis- takes reinforces her sense of security and authenticity. Speaking of authenticity: It's a must-have for anyone so lucky to call him or herself a leader. People respond to others who are genuinely themselves, shortcomings and all, as opposed to those who try to em- ulate another person's leadership style. It oen takes time for rising stars to feel comfortable in their own skin, but roundtable partici- pants said counsel from trusted female executives can further them on this journey. "I tell women to not believe that emulating male behavior in a presen- tation is going to mean success for you," said the senior vice president and COO of a large integrated health system in Kentucky. "You have to be authentic. Authenticity is how you inspire. If you believe you need to behave in a manner that you've witnessed, that will be a mismatch for you. Be you in a confident but humble way." Seeing beyond the glass ceiling The roundtable discussion included a number of female trailblazers in the healthcare field, each of whom cracked if not broke the glass ceiling in her own right. One woman was the first-ever female pres- ident of her large academic medical center. Another was the fifth female in 112 years to serve as chair of the American Hospital As- sociation. There are other milestones to note, but most striking was their shared insistence to downplay the glass ceiling — especially when mentoring younger women. "If I've had a glass ceiling, I chose to ignore it," said the former AHA chair and CEO of a 170-bed woman's hospital in the South. "I advise women to go into denial about that. Don't use it as an excuse or a crutch. If you let that be the reason you're not going where you want, maybe it's time to go to another organization." It's important to advocate for young talent to assume high-level roles, but equally as crucial is standing by an up-and-comer once she lands the job.