Taking Charge: Mapping Your Academic Leadership Path Grace Hopper Celebration 2014 Carol B. Muller, Ph.D. Executive Director, WISE Ventures, Stanford University

Different Types of Leadership Paths for Senior Academics Scientific leadership Administrative leadership – Scientific research (e.g. centers, institutes, etc.) – Institutional (e.g. dean (associate, assistant); provost (associate, assistant); president/chancellor – Other (e.g. professional society, government IPA, etc.) Entrepreneurial leadership Retirement / career change

What’s Ahead for You? What’s working well for you right now? What’s not? What’s a big, but desirable long-term goal for your professional development? What are the questions you have about the paths for achieving that goal?

Why does the imbalanced gender ratio matter? Because it affects every woman’s experience, whether or not she wants it to, and whether or not she notices. Let’s review some of the typical barriers for success for women in STEM

Myths and Realities about Women’s Representation in STEM Fields Can Impede Women’s Leadership Myths Abilities Preferences Brain or other Biological Sex Differences Realities History Expectations Encouragement Experiences

History The world’s major scientific academies were founded in the 17 th century, and are now 300+ years old. When was was first woman admitted to the prestigious Académie des Sciences in Paris? When was the first book written about the under-recognition of women in science? What percentage of those earning bachelors degrees in engineering in 1970 were women?

Expectations & Experiences: Common Gender-Related Barriers to Success in Career Advancement – Bias – Stereotype Threat – Impostor Syndrome – Mindset – Confidence

Bias What is it? Conscious experience is immediate, compelling, but incomplete. Much of perception, thinking, and action occurs outside of conscious awareness or conscious control. As a result, judgment and action can be unintentionally influenced by factors that we do not recognize, and may not value. A musical story…. Try out Project Implicit, and learn something about your own biases.

Stereotype Threat “Being at risk of confirming, as self- characteristic, a negative stereotype about one's group” (Steele and Aronson, 1995) A story of testing…

Impostor Syndrome It’s only because they like me. I was in the right place at the right time. I just work harder than the others. I don’t deserve this. It’s just a matter of time before I am found out. Someone must have made a terrible mistake.

Getting a handle on reality: Are abilities inherent or learned? Inherent – people are born with certain talents and intelligence that lead to success. vs. Learned – people’s basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work.

Mindset Fixed Mindset – believe people are born with certain talents and intelligence that lead to success. Growth Mindset – believe people’s basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. (Based on the work of Carol S. Dweck, Department of Psychology, Stanford University)

The Confidence Gap? “Evidence shows that women are less self- assured than men—and that to succeed, confidence matters as much as competence.” - Claire Shippman and Katty Kay, writing in The Atlantic Monthly, April 14, 2014

About Confidence and Learning One gains confidence from success One learns from failure

Looking at Leadership 20,000+ books on the topic of leadership, yet 77% of U.S. identify crises in leadership Leadership failures most often due to “hubris, ego, and lack of emotional intelligence” Confidence too often mistaken for competence People tend to believe leaders are born, not made, but this mindset is not supported by the research findings

Why Leadership Development is Often Ineffective The “ownership is power” mind-set – clash between old command & control style and new realities of shared accountability and responsibility. “Productization” of leadership development – short term fad-based training, focused on products, rather than organizational problems Focus on “make believe metrics” vs. valuable “soft” skills, strategic thinking, and collaborative behavior essential for leadership success

Core areas for developing needed skills and knowledge Self-awareness Emotional self-mastery A deep understanding of the dynamics of human behavior on an individual basis Mindfulness – reflection and introspection Personal responsibility

Framework for beginning or extending exploration of your own options. Leadership development through self-initiative, coaches, mentors, &/or programs – seek: Continuity & long-term commitment Good training design (based on current knowledge of neuroscience, psychology and human performance) Recognition that management ≠ leadership Experts in teaching, learning, and facilitation (not necessarily positional leaders)

Now what? “Never be limited by other people's limited imaginations.” “I had to learn very early not to limit myself due to others' limited imaginations. I have learned these days never to limit anyone else due to my own limited imagination.” – Mae C. Jemison, MD first female African-American in space

“10 Rules for Brilliant Women” Make a pact – this is your game, you’re in charge Imagine it – set a goal, envision. Gasp – challenge yourself, learn, stretch, take risks Develop a thick skin Be confident (act confident) Recognize and work with your inner critic Don’t wait for praise, permission, or invitation Filter advice Recover and restore Let other women know they are brilliant Inspired by Tara Mohr, leadership coach (

Q & A Next steps? Feedback? Thank you!