Role models

The 2020 Nobel prize for Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna celebrates their science but also their leadership style. Both are pursuing a career of scientist, head of research unit and entrepreneur. This explains why they are seen as role model by so many people. More generally, this example highlights that women prove to be extremely successful in driving innovative activities in a context of uncertainties.

Illustration: Berlin Max Planck Institute celebrating Emmanuelle Charpentier's Nobel

When assembling your team, you have to think in term of diversity of personalities. Further to have gender equity, you need also men and women that are advocating for feminine values.

Take someone like me ... during my education, I worked five years part time as a nurse assistant under guidance of chief nurse. More importantly, in my career I was fortunate to have three amazing women role model leading with feminine values:

- my PhD supervisor and head of a 150 scientists INSERM-CNRS unit

- the Head of Research and Innovation of a French Diagnostic leader

- the Chief of Strategy of a leading science and technology industry player

I never really noticed that many of my mentors or inspiring leaders were women. However it is obvious to me that intuition, connection, empathy, anticipation .. are traits that makes me creative and good at managing innovation. A good reason to keep having women as role models.

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Two references to explore further

https://hbr.org/2013/08/research-male-leaders-should-think-more-like-women

https://www.icopilots.com/innovation-mindset/innovation-culture-needs-feminine-values-19065