At this year’s London Vet Show, the highlight of the panel talks was the session on “Breaking the unseen barriers – female leadership in the veterinary industry”. In a profession that is becoming increasingly female-dominated, it’s disappointing to learn that there are twice as many men as there are women in leadership roles in the veterinary industry.
Further, a BVA employers’ study in 2018 found that – even if two resumes were identical – gender bias towards men still existed when choosing candidates for job roles, and affected the range of salaries offered. This must change for equality in the workplace to exist, and for more women to be considered for leadership positions.
Four talented women from different areas of the veterinary industry came together at this talk. Vicki Betton, director of Global Impact for International Cat Care, introduced Gudrun Ravetz, Molly McAllister, Vicki Wentworth and Rebecca Robinson. Their titles are impressive, including chief medical officer, CEO and junior vice-president. These women have truly had experience in leadership roles, and it was clear they are motivated to help other women reach the same heights. Through sharing their career peaks and challenges, the session was an opportunity to give insightful advice that all attendees could take away and implement in their daily lives to elevate their career.
Why is there a lack of female representation in leadership?
An initial discussion into the reasons around lack of female representation in leadership touched on reduced opportunities for working parents with lack of flexible or part-time roles in leadership. Statistically, there are a reduced number of applications from women when advertising for leadership roles and this may be in part due to the wording of role descriptions and requirements. Women will often not apply unless they feel they can prove they meet all the listed requirements for the job position. The biggest reason that resonated with both panel and audience was the feeling that women don’t believe in themselves as much as men do when considering applying for leadership roles.
The last point is one we can help change, both by self-affirmation and through using mentorship and championship to help career growth.
The biggest reason that resonated with both panel and audience was the feeling that women don’t believe in themselves as much as men do when considering applying for leadership roles
So, how do you start to believe in yourself more?
The panel discussed their experiences of overcoming imposter syndrome, suggesting women initially break down whatever challenge they are facing into sizeable chunks. Women can then make small changes – such as feeling brave enough to reach out to a colleague to network or to consider presenting a case to the team when wanting to work on public speaking skills. By knowing the area you wish to focus on, it can feel more achievable than the broader goal of “stepping into leadership”.
The panel then detailed the benefits of both mentorship and championship when considering leadership roles in the workplace. So, what are they, and how can each help you reach the next step in your career?
Championship
Your ‘champion’ can advocate for you when you are not there, for example when considering promotions or growth opportunities
Championship is defined as the support of a person or cause. While not formally recognised in most workplaces, you will be able to think of someone right now in your team who encourages you, believes in you and helps remind you how fantastic you are. They remind you of where you started, how far you have come in life and all the amazing things you have yet to do. They are the person you want to share success stories with, and the person you turn to for a pep talk when anxious about a negative interaction, such as dealing with a client complaint. We can both give and receive championship, and the panel discussed the importance of this process when helping other women step onto the leadership ladder.
Championship is invaluable when you are not present. Your “champion” can advocate for you when you are not there, for example when considering promotions or growth opportunities. This allows others who may have the power to make leadership decisions to be influenced by your champion’s voice as much as your own.
Mentorship
Your mentor is someone you can look up to and aspire to emulate, but your champion is another individual who believes in and encourages you – and they’re equally important
Mentorship allows an individual to learn and grow professionally through the guidance and advice of a more senior or experienced individual. This person can be someone in your workplace or another industry altogether. It’s common for individuals to seek out a mentor rather than be chosen to be mentored, unless your workplace has a mentorship programme in place. The panel recommends, in an ideal word, having two different people to mentor and champion you. Both people can elevate your career, just in slightly different ways. Your mentor is someone you can look up to and aspire to emulate, but your champion is another individual who believes in and encourages you – and they’re equally important. This synergistic effect helps to grow and shape you as a person faster than leaning into one element alone.
How to find a mentor
Who do you look up to in your day-to-day life who has positive qualities you wish to take on and adapt for yourself? Maybe this person is a natural conversationalist and can remember people’s names with ease, or an individual who has overcome challenges to get to where they are today. Qualities such as excellent organisational skills, public speaking and utilising technology in the workplace are all needed to succeed in leadership. By finding someone with positive traits you wish to copy, you will naturally find a shortlist for your mentor. The next step is to reach out and ask them to connect. A few of the panellists have had great success with this – although they did mention that not everyone will say yes, but most people do. Ask them for a quick chat to get to know them. Be prepared with a few questions to get an insight into how they ended up where they are today. This can naturally lead into tips for how you can succeed in similar ways.
Be open to connecting with many people – there are people from all walks of life that can teach you valuable leadership skills. Your mentor does not need to be solely in your workplace or even in the veterinary industry.
Know your limits
Another important point from the talk was the idea of knowing what you can and cannot commit to, and communicating this to your employer. We can sometimes catastrophise that we will not be able to progress in our careers if we need to prioritise finishing at 3pm on a Wednesday, for example. In reality, a good employer who values your contributions will often make accommodations for reasonable requests such as flexible working arrangements.
As a single mother, one of the panellists can only commit to travel 50 percent of the time and has managed to negotiate this into her working life. It hasn’t held her back. Think how many more women would be able to step up into leadership roles if we were open about what we need to be successful in our working lives, and what support looks like for us. Make a list of what would enable you to step into a leadership role, and consider talking to a mentor or employer to see if opportunities for growth are present. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Think how many more women would be able to step up into leadership roles if we were open about what we need to be successful in our working lives, and what support looks like for us
Be the change
My personal favourite quote of the discussion was: “be the change we want to see in the world”. Sounds like a huge challenge, but change happens at ground level. Be courageous – speak up against gender discrimination, racism or policies that do not sit right with you. The chances are good that other people feel the same. By challenging the status quo, we can develop as a profession to one that is truly equal, providing opportunities for women and men to succeed and grow.
Final thoughts
In summary, there is a real lack of women in leadership roles within the veterinary industry and this is a huge topic to unpack. While small steps are being made at the professional body level (for example the recent BVA research into gender discrimination), the road ahead is still long. But change starts at ground level – that means you, here, now.
We can all be our own biggest advocate when looking to advance in our careers and step into leadership roles. One panellist reflected, “I have said yes to far too many things and only regretted a few!” Say yes when opportunities present themselves, make connections and be encouraged to grow into the next phase of your career. Utilise championship and mentorship to your benefit and offer support to other women if you are currently in a leadership role.
Only through more women stepping up into leadership roles can we inspire the women following behind us. When women see women in leadership, we see leaders who we can identify with and aspire to be like. This inspires change and can help strengthen the drive of future women to chase their leadership dreams.
