Women in HIT Leadership, Part 2: Challenging Gender Stereotypes

Women and men are inherently different.

Men are better negotiators, more confident, and more likely to take risks. Women, on the other hand, are better team players and are more mission-driven.

We’ve heard these sentiments so many times — and for so long — that they’ve become widely accepted as facts. The reality, according to a Harvard Business Review, is that there are differences between men and women. “But they’re not rooted in fixed gender traits,” it states. “Rather, they stem from organizational structures, company practices, and patterns of interaction that position men and women differently, creating systematically different experiences for them.”

In other words, the reason women occupy fewer leadership roles in fields like healthcare IT is more about nurture, and less about nature. It can be a very discouraging thing to hear. But it also can be inspiring, according to Women in Health IT Leadership panelists, who believe it’s time to move past the (justified) anger many women feel and work to forge change.

Recently we spoke with three influential women about the challenges they’ve faced in their careers, what they consider to be core competencies for female leaders, and why diverse representation is so critical in today’s environment. The panelists — Sarah Richardson, California Market CIO, Healthcare Partners; Julie Bonello, CIO, Rush Health; and Tressa Springmann, CIO, LifeBridge Health — also share their thoughts on how to encourage a healthy work/life balance, how to build a safe culture, why mentoring matters so much, and the discussion that needs to happen on a wider scale.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2



* Working remotely – “It’s a blessing and a curse”

* Setting a positive example for work/life balance

* “When I go on vacation, I don’t go online. You won’t hear from me.”

* Misconceptions about women leaders – “There’s much less variance than what stereotypes keep reinforcing.”

* Cultural fit over skill set

* Power of mentoring – “Your greatest responsibility is to shape the success of others.”

* Creating a safe environment



LISTEN NOW USING THE PLAYER BELOW OR CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR iTUNES PODCAST FEED

Bold Statements

I actually look forward to it, because I like unplugging from the entire world — literally. I’ve learned that just because you have technology, it doesn’t mean you should always use it.

The more perspective we have and the more diversity, the more it allows us to understand, and really make better informed decisions and develop more successful teams.

We have to have a real commitment to focusing on the environment and making sure there is safety and that we ourselves aren’t reinforcing these beliefs that science doesn’t even support.

You need to create an opportunity where people have a place to ask important questions, and learn, and not have to be worried about you judging them because of the types of things they may be asking.

Gamble:  It’s not just women, but men who are also affected when they have a child or parent to take care of. If you have to leave work by a certain time, nobody wants to feel like they’re falling behind. They want to know that they’re supported as long as they’re doing their job.

Richardson:  You bring up a great point. Technology has come so far that people can work from anywhere. We have multiple states where teammates live, and when someone needs to work from home or go home and take care of something and get online later to do project updates or status updates,