An Interview with Dr. Eve J. Higginbotham on Diversity in Leadership
In the past few years, there has been much public discussion over gender equality. While not nearly enough progress has been made in the fight for equal pay or representation at the highest levels, we have seen some notable advances. For example, a record-breaking number of women CEO’s (33) appeared on the most recent Forbes 500 list. However, when we dig a little deeper we see that despite this progress, there is another story to be told. Only one of the 33 women listed was a woman of color, and she was holding an interim position. If you ask many women in the workplace, the advances we’re celebrating are clearly not benefitting all of us.
I started Heels of Success with the goal of elevating women in the workplace, but it’s important to me that we are elevating ALL women. In my role as CEO of CHOP, increasing representation is a priority for me. I’ve spent considerable time focusing on diversity within our Board of Trustees, and CHOP’s Diversity Council, which I chair, is partnering with teams across the organization to implement our Diversity Strategic Plan. Seeing this Forbes list made me stop and think about how I could address this issue on the blog. I decided to speak with a woman who has made diversity and inclusion a core element of her personal and professional mission, Dr. Eve J. Higginbotham, Vice Dean and Professor of Ophthalmology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. A friend and professional colleague of mine, I’ve always admired Eve, and even more so after this interview.
She’s had an extraordinary career, beginning with her undergraduate and graduate studies at MIT then attending Harvard Medical School. She’s served as the Dean of the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Senior Vice President for Health Sciences at Howard University, and Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, a position she held for 12 years. Her resume reads like a masterclass in leadership – holding top positions of all kinds, often in male-dominated organizations and fields (you can read her full bio here). Her personal story also provides insights into how women of color, or those with mutiple intersects, as she puts it, rise above a lifetime of microaggressions, discrimination and bias, and how white women might become better allies in addressing the lack of racial diversity in leadership.
Dr. Higgenbothom was kind enough to sit down with me recently for an interview. Below is a summary of our conversation.
MB: Tell me about your upbringing. Was it always expected that you’d pursue a career?
EH: My parents were both teachers and always raised me to focus on education and what I wanted to achieve, despite any discrimination I might face. And growing up in New Orleans in the 50’s and 60’s, there was discrimination – every day “microagessions” as we refer to them now. My mother would always say, “just beat ‘em with your brains” and my father was a Tuskegee Airman – both of them provided great examples and formed me in a way that I knew not to let the environment drag me down. But I did grow up being influenced by what was happening around me – and I learned that I only had control over how I reacted to the world around me, and how I let it shape me.
MB: How have you dealt with discrimination in your career?
EH: I remember noticing how the subjectivity in medical school illuminated discrimination in a new way. Growing up, I liked math and science because it was all about merit – there was a wrong or a right answer, so I thought MIT was a good place to start my higher education, and it was. The fact that engineering and science are much more data driven didn’t leave as much room for discrimination – if you got a problem right, you excelled. It wasn’t until medical school that I started to notice things like that fact that not everyone was being asked to give a report. In fact, one of the reasons I went into a surgical specialty is because there was a comfort level there that reminded me of my life at MIT; I was able to publish scientific papers in my speciality, and that really helped me have a rapid rise – allowing me to become a department chair in my early forties.
MB: Why do you think there is still such a lack of representation at the highest levels of corporate leadership? Do you have any perspective on why we are we seeing an increase in white women holding these positions and not women of color?
EH: There are more white women to begin with in the pipeline and more white women who are likely to have sponsors or even family members in positions of power who can serve as sponsors. The bottom line is that we do not have sufficient diversity at the highest levels, which is unfortunate given the power of cognitive diversity. Bringing together different perspectives produces more innovative and profitable organizations. I believe it is a matter of critical numbers of women who can help others succeed and demonstrate to others what is possible.
MB: What are some concrete things leaders should be doing to ensure that the next generation of leaders they’re preparing represent a diverse group of women?
EH: There are four things I would recommend to leaders:
Recognize the barriers that exist within oneself, within the relationships where one spends most of one’s time, the micro and macro environments, and the national political context.
Once one becomes self-aware, develop strategies within each of these domains that you can change and role model for others.
Develop a plan to implement each of these strategies. For example, understand our own biases; expand your relationships within the professional workplace and include new perspectives in your research or work. Develop a plan related to at least one process within your workspace and optimize its objectivity, e.g. evaluation of your direct reports.
Finally, seek out others with a different perspective and have a constructive conversation about differing perspectives. Find common ground and seek to understand the differences. As leaders, we need to be coaches, mentors, and sponsors and seek out new future leaders to nurture and grow. If everyone does these things, they we will have more diverse leadership that is developed and sustained.
MB: Alternatively, what mistakes are that those advocating for gender equity making that have led us to such under-representation for women of color?
EH: In my opinion, many of us tend to gravitate to those who have shared experiences and one must be intentional in going beyond the immediate group of individuals with whom one spends time and mentor. There has been an intentionality to going outside one’s usual group of collaborators.
Thank you to Dr. Higginbotham for taking the time to talk with me, and for so candidly sharing her experiences and perspectives. As leaders, we know the most important way to achieve success in anything we do is to develop thoughtful strategies, set goals, and ensure there is accountability for achieving them. This applies directly to increasing diversity in our leadership teams. If you’re in a leadership position, I encourage you to develop a plan for creating a more diverse, inclusive and equitable environment in your organization through setting specific, measurable goals. At my organization, our diversity goals include improving the environment at CHOP by developing and modeling a culture of inclusion; increasing our focus on recruiting, developing and retaining diverse talent; providing more equitable care; and improving CHOP’s reputation in these important areas. I truly believe that our diversity is our greatest strength, and this work will make us even stronger.
With the growth of social media platforms such as LinkedIn and endless other networking groups, we’ve seen a significant increase in our personal and professional networks. Just think about your connections. Now, think about how many of those people you actually know. How many of them could you help you advance your career or make a meaningful business connections? How many of them could you truly ask for a favor or an introduction? Probably not many. I think it’s important to learn how to develop more “surface-level relationships” into more meaningful relationships that can help us meet our personal and professional goals.
Most women are now familiar with the idea of mentor-ship, and the importance it can play in career development. Another term that’s garnered a lot of attention in recent years is sponsorship. Sponsors focus less on mentoring and more on advocating professionally for their protegees. Both of these relationships are dedicated two-way partnerships that often take time and a natural connection in order to flourish. However, there is a third category when it comes to career development that doesn’t get quite as much attention — I call them “helping relationships.” In contrast to mentor-ships and sponsorship’s, these helping relationships do not require the same level of investment or depth. However, they must still be genuine and reciprocal. Below are a few tips to make the most of your networks, and develop some of these helping relationships.
1. Decide on your goals.
It’s impossible to make the most of your network if you don’t know what you are trying to achieve. Think about your more immediate career goals or an even loftier goal that may or may not happen, something you might just like to learn about. For example, I am fascinated by the idea of serving our country as a U.S. ambassador, and I have even considered it as a second career. Whether or not this will actually happen in my future, I have put my aspiration out there while I’m networking. I recently scheduled a meeting with a high-profile politician, whose wife is an ambassador. I intend to ask him about his wife’s career, gain any insights I can, and share my interest with him. I can’t expect anyone to assist me in reaching goals if they don’t know I have them! In fact, that practice led me to a corporate board position- I expressed my interest to another woman, and when she knew of an open seat, she thought of me. Make a list of your goals and share them with others!
2. Dig into your LinkedIn network.
The great thing about LinkedIn is that you can stay connected to nearly anyone you meet and you can see their connections. Look back over your goals and connect with others that might help you to reach them. Use LinkedIn to search keywords or people. Do this regularly to continuously find opportunities to build your network. But don’t forget to take these offline – ask people to get coffee, lunch or happy hour. As helpful as our online networks can be, the personal connection still matters.
3. Practice your asks.
I recommend practicing out loud any time you’re going to have an important conversation or speak publicly. Planning ahead helps you to stay focused on your goals. I have spoken to a number of people who fear they are being too forward so they stick to chit-chat and avoid making a request. Keep your ask short, simple and clear, and identify exactly what you’re hoping that person may be able to do for you (i.e. make an introduction, recommend you for a position, keep you in mind for a project you know they’re leading).
4. Always follow-up and reciprocate.
It’s so important to remember that any relationship, even if it’s only on LinkedIn, needs basic courtesy to be fulfilling. Don’t leave messages unread, don’t make asks unless you intend to take the help that’s offered, don’t discount offers of help that are less than what you originally asked for and always send a thank you. Be sure you’re extending the goodwill, and proactively offer ways in which you may be able to help others.
There is nothing more rejuvenating than spending an evening out with close female friends. The camaraderie, support and laughter that accompanies these types of friendships is, in my opinion, an essential part of mental health. I recently had dinner with my two closest friends; women I can share anything and everything with, and with whom I can truly be myself. We talk about our common experience of having our children get married and laugh about how men (and specifically, our husbands!) need to find “man friends” (why do women seem to be so much better at recognizing the essential nature of supportive friendships!?)
Of course, conversation and commiseration about our lived experience as women comes up as well. At one point in our dinner, my friend reminded us that her mom sent her to the Sears Charm School. If you’re unfamiliar with this relic of the 1970’s – it’s worth a Google search. When we went home, she sent us a link with this flyer:
After reading the newspaper ad (probably the one that sparked my friends mom to sign her up), I realized how much our generation was shaped by this messaging: “A five-week course on hair, makeup, figure control, walking, etc.”
I am often asked why women feel differently, why women leaders are not able to make it on boards or break the glass ceiling as CEO’s of large corporations. Becker’s Healthcare Review recently listed the top salaries in healthcare, and not one person on the list of 30 was a woman (I tried to do some searching here but can’t seem to find the article referenced). Seeing this newspaper ad from the 1970’s (not that long ago), helped to make clear what I already know, somewhat of an “a-ha moment” – we were shaped by a generation of mothers sending us to charm school. It wasn’t just this specific charm school that promoted these ideals for women either, it’s what we grew up seeing and believing everywhere – that our value resided in our looks and our ability to be gentle, refined, polite and attractive to men. This message was everywhere. We have had to unlearn these cultural lessons as we’ve collectively realized just how much they held us back in pursuing passions and identities beyond what the Sears Charm School demanded of us. Do you have specific memories learning how to behave or what was expected of you as a woman? Have those experiences held you back, and do you think young women today are being spared these lessons, or are they still being perpetuated?
Recently, philanthropist and businesswoman, Melinda Gates, spoke about the idea of reimagining the modern workplace. In an article published on LinkedIn titled,“We’re Sending our Daughters into a Workplace Designed for our Dads” she advocated,“new technologies, new business models, and new social movements are completely redefining what it means to go to work. So why don’t we take this opportunity—this moment of radical redesign—to advance equality and inclusion, and build the first workplace in history that actually works for everyone?”
She argues however, that the types of features developed (slides between floors, swings, sleeping pods) are created with a largely young, white, male employee in mind. She challenges us to think about what big, bold, disruptive ideas exists for creating a workspace that appeals to women. I was fascinated by the idea that maybe our physical workspaces have hindered the advancement of women’s careers. I decided to talk with CHOP’s Director or Facilities Planning and Design, Natalie Miovski Hagerty, to dig into this idea further.
MB: How, if it all, has gender played a role in the spaces you design?
NMH: As a female working in the male-dominated architecture and construction industry, I’ve always worked hard to bring awareness to the female voice in my building designs. But I feel like this is a new opportunity to think about how we construct workplaces that are more in line with what women want. I think unfortunately, gender has typically played a role in the way the article you mentioned described – usually only in reference to female-focused coworking spaces or female-specific program spaces, like lactation rooms. However, I think one of the things we don’t do enough is empower women to use spaces however they want. For example, it was suggested that we put a computer in the CHOP staff lactation rooms, and my first reaction was, “can’t we let our moms have a few minutes in peace without having to worry about doing work and pumping at the same time?” But when I took a moment to reflect, I realized I was making that decision for them, and that wasn’t appropriate. As designers, we need to create space with flexibility, and we need to be better listeners to what the needs are. Additionally, we need to poke a little at it, the answers don’t just come out, sometimes people aren’t sure what they want or what options exist. It’s like the Henry Ford quote, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” While we need to ask and listen, it’s also up to us – both women and men – to come up with big, bold ideas.
MB: How do you gather information about what employees, particularly women, would like to see? What types of data do you look for when designing a space where people will spend so much of their time?
NMH:We are actually in the process of constructing a new office building right now (as you know!). One of the things we did was to bring in an industry expert who’s at the cutting edge of workspace research. We opened the door to employees by saying, how can we make your life better? Then through brainstorming and shadowing we were able to get lots of feedback. We really just kept pushing people to think about their day and not take any movement or current obstacle for granted. When we wrote the observations down, we had a lot of “A-Ha” moments. We also wanted to focus on creating healthy work spaces. One interesting thing that came out as frustration that tied back to gender differences was in relation to the experience of sitting at your desk. Many women wear heels of varying sizes, but when you’re sitting at the desk, your keyboard tray is in the way and you are not in the right ergonomic position. Often, you end up taking your shoes off – putting you in a bit of a vulnerable position. Men’s shoes are all fairly similar, therefore their body is always in the same position. We were able to find a design solution that would really help with equality – height adjustable desks! This allows everyone the ability to quickly make comfort and ergonomic choices for themselves. Another area where gender differences come into play, is when we talk about fitness in the workplace. Many office buildings are offering fitness centers, but we wanted to think about how these can be optimized for everyone – do people really want to be working out at work, getting sweaty and messy around their colleagues? We heard that women are more sensitive to this than men – so before we offer something like that, we really want to understand what women would want to feel comfortable with an on-site fitness center. It can be a lot more complicated for women – hair, makeup, accessories – it’s not a quick and easy thing to get ready for work after exercising! What women wanted were simple design features like a place to put their brush or make-up that wasn’t wet (because typically the only counter space is next to a sink in an office building fitness center). This design feature benefits everyone – however it’s noteworthy that it only came up when carefully listening to women.
MB: What does human-centered workplace design look like to you?
NMH: I believe that human-centered workplace is about how we feel in the environment. The best analogy I can come up with is at CHOP, we have children that are going through infusion therapy. Imagine a child who is 3 or 4, but their chairs they’re sitting in for this therapy are made for adults. They’re in a space that was designed for them and their wellbeing, but they feel uncomfortable because the specific chair is oversized and overwhelming. This has an effect on them emotionally. It can make them feel small and weak at a time that they need to be at their strongest. As that concept relates to women in the workplace, much of the furniture available was not designed with women’s frames in mind – especially petite women. There are women that are dwarfed by the size of their chairs. Imagine how that makes them feel! I definitely believe there is a psychological impact that details like this have, and I’d like to see the averages that are used in determining furniture design be re-assessed with a more female workforce in mind.
MB: Do you think workplace design can play a role in gender equality?
NMH: If you’re using the words workplace design to mean a more holistic approach or solution through both physical design and amenities, then yes, 100% it can play a role. To be honest though, I haven’t seen the big, bold ideas that would lead to increased gender equity, but I do believe that they could aid in leveling the playing field. There’s a lot of talk about the idea of daycare centers in workplaces, but too often it’s positioned as a women’s issue as opposed to a human issue. Having a daycare in one’s office, while in many ways convenient, automatically makes that parent the default primary parent, which doesn’t contribute to an equitable division of childcare. So when it comes to solutions for making workplaces more family friendly, we have to think carefully about unintended consequences.
MB: Is there anything you think women should be thinking about when it comes to their workspace, that could encourage gaining more equity?
I like an example in the book Play Like a Man, Win Like a Woman: What Men Know About Success that Women Need to Learnby Gail Evans. She tells a hypothetical story; if there is a man and a woman who are equal (i.e. same years of experience, same position, same title, same salary, etc.) and there were two offices for them that were the same, other than one having a column in the corner (making it appear smaller), who would take which office? Evans suggests that the women take the smaller office, because they don’t think it matters – the symbolism of the “larger” office isn’t as important to them, and they know it won’t affect how well they will do the job. But when the rest of the office is asked, they perceive the person having the larger office as superior to the one in the smaller office. I actually saw a similar situation play out here at CHOP – a woman was promoted to manager, over the man who was filling in as an interim manager. When it came time for her to move into the larger manager office he was utilizing, she said, “I’m just going to stay in my office, it’s no big deal.” But I encouraged her to sit in the corner office that she deserved and had worked hard for. This particular department saw space as a proxy for prestige and to me, this is an example of how space relates to power and equity. I think it’s something that should be recognized more by women in these types of environments. Personally, I think we need to separate space allocation from prestige and self-worth, but that’s another blog!
Thank you to Natalie for her input, and for all of the work she does to create healthy, comfortable, connected workspaces for us at CHOP. I’d like to hear from all of you – what ideas do you have for making our physical workspaces more equitable and female-friendly?
