The well-respected journal Cell Metabolism is featuring a ‘Women in Metabolism’ series, asking female scientific leaders to share their stories and words of wisdom for the new generation. Key themes throughout have been to “dare to take yourself seriously” and ensure you have sponsors who can campaign aggressively on your behalf and provide you with perspective.
This is sage advice for female scientists, particularly those at postdoctoral level and beyond, in a fiercely competitive, male-dominated sector.
An issue echoed by many over the years relates to the difficulty that many women have with self-promotion and owning their success. It is a common reflection that women tend to underestimate their abilities. A female leader in metabolism, Associate Professor Deborah Muoio, wrote that women tend to ask for more after they deliver and men ask first and promise to deliver. Maybe, she says, we should take some lessons from the guys.
In fact, it is something that I employed when trying to enter the senior research fellowship scheme, says Associate Professor Rebecca Ritchie. “The first year I applied, I didn’t even get an interview, I wasn’t even remotely close. The difference between that and securing a National Health and Medical Research Council Fellowship the following year was that I thought of two or three leading male scientists and I considered what they would have written about themselves if they had my CV. Even years later, when I share my application with others, I feel the need to point out that what is written is not how I view myself. But it is clear that if you don’t present yourself in the best possible light, it will still be assumed that you have, and you won’t get anywhere.”
Perhaps we do need to get a better grip on personal branding, something that people such as Steve Jobs made an art form. His personal brand was defined by words and actions. He made clear what mattered to him – being passionate about what you do, being innovative and not afraid to break the rules, and looking beyond money to something bigger. Many of us are equally passionate about our work. This is why we stick at it despite the uncertainty and stress that comes with a career in science. But developing our brand and highlighting the unique assets, skills and experience that we bring to the table is something that we also need to hone alongside our ability to do great science and publish in well-regarded journals.
Scientist-turned-business-leader Adele Gulfo wrote in the Huffington Post that personal
branding is what differentiates you and your unique value proposition from others, it is not about self-promotion, it is a leadership imperative. Formerly president of Pfizer Latin America, Ms Gulfo says your personal brand “is not a list of accomplishments or an exercise in self-promotion. That’s an important distinction.” She says women need to be their own biggest fan. “I encourage my group heads to continually look for opportunities to surface their great work and compliments they’ve received,” Ms Gulfo says.
However much it might go against the grain, women do need to be their own greatest supporters. But equally, having someone to champion you is also critical. To really champion someone you need to be entrenched in the scientific network at both a national and international level, and of course, most of the people in the networks are male. This is not necessarily an issue, just the reality. We both have several mentors and champions, some are female but most are male. A champion or sponsor might suggest you as a speaker for an international conference, to be on an editorial board or to take on a policy role in an advocacy organisation. While such positions are achieved on merit, you do need to be on people’s radars in the first place to be offered such opportunities and a champion can play a pivotal role in this.
Professor Sharon Bell and Professor Lyn Yates, who undertook a research project examining Women in the Science Research Workforce, found that “networks, connections and knowing the right people are seen as equally important as being good at your work” and that those whose circumstances did not provide the opportunity or time to develop supportive and influential networks were unlikely to succeed. The corporate sector is no different. The 2011 McKinsey report Unlocking the full potential of women in the US economy found that despite women’s unflagging confidence and desire to advance, the lack of a sponsor in upper management to create opportunities and exclusion from informal networks were key reasons that women choose to remain at their current level or move to another organisation.
Being your own greatest champion, owning your success and developing a supportive network of mentors and champions is critical to female scientists achieving even greater success. For many of us, we need to consciously work at incorporating this into how we do business on a daily basis.
Professor Bronwyn Kingwell features in the ‘Women in Metabolism’ series in Cell Metabolism this month.
Professor Bronwyn Kingwell is a NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow, and at Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute she is Executive Director, Science Policy, Domain Leader for Prevention and heads the Metabolic and Vascular Physiology Laboratory. She has professorial appointments in the Department of Medicine and Department of Physiology at both the University of Melbourne and Monash University, at James Cook University, the University of NSW and the University of Pierre and Marie Curie in Paris. She received her PhD in physiology from the University of Melbourne in 1991.
Associate Professor Rebecca Ritchie is an NHMRC Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Heart Failure Pharmacology laboratory at Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute. She completed her PhD studies in the Department of Medicine (Cardiology Division, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital) at the University of Adelaide in 1994. She then held a postdoctoral position in the Program of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology in the Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit until 1997. On her return to Australia, Associate Professor Ritchie held a senior postdoctoral position at the Howard Florey Institute in Melbourne, before taking up her current position at Baker IDI in 2002.