50 Years at the Leadership Table with Dr. Patricia Gabow

Dr. Laura Marie Rivera sits down with Dr. Patricia Gabow, physician leader, former CEO of Denver Health, and author of The Women’s Guide to Healthcare Leadership: The Why and the How, for a candid conversation about women in leadership, workplace equity, and the powerful overlap between Motherhood and executive leadership.Drawing on decades of leadership in medicine—and more than 50 years as a Mother—Patricia explains why women need to “buy the ticket” to leadership instead of waiting until they feel completely ready. She shares how Motherhood develops many of the same capabilities organizations say they want in leaders: resilience, mentoring, budgeting, decision-making, accountability, humility, and the ability to balance compassion with decisive action.Patricia also makes an important distinction between equality and equity. If women are expected to compete on a level playing field, she argues, workplaces must address structural barriers through pay equity, paid maternity leave, and affordable, high-quality childcare.In this episode:Why women need to “buy the ticket” to leadershipHow Motherhood develops transferable leadership capabilitiesWhy equity must come before equalityThe importance of pay equity, paid leave, and affordable childcareHow effective leaders balance compassion with decisivenessWhy humility does not mean minimizing your accomplishmentsHow honest feedback and role modeling make us better leadersPatricia describes her own leadership style as a combination of “Mother Teresa and General Patton”: sometimes a leader must be the chief comforter, and sometimes a leader must take command.And through it all runs an idea at the heart of Motherhood Advantage: the skills women develop around the kitchen table belong at the leadership table, too.As Patricia puts it:“Being a Mother helped me be a CEO and being a CEO helped me be a Mother.”Her message to women considering leadership is simple: don’t wait for permission, and don’t wait until you feel perfectly prepared. Buy the ticket.BOOK GIVEAWAY: Want to win a copy of Dr. Patricia Gabow’s The Women’s Guide to Healthcare Leadership: The Why and the How? Comment on this episode or email us at motherhoodadvantage@gmail.com to be entered. The giveaway is open for the first two weeks after the episode is released.  Links:Buy The Women’s Guide to Healthcare Leadership: The Why and the How? on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H4YZNTZ4?lv=shuf&channelId=510&plpRedirect=mhFallbackResearch: Women Score Higher Than Men in Most Leadership Skillshttps://hbr.org/2019/06/research-women-score-higher-than-men-in-most-leadership-skillsAbout Motherhood AdvantageAt The Motherhood Advantage, we explore the research, stories, and leadership lessons that emerge when we recognize Motherhood not as a detour from leadership—but as one of its greatest teachers. If you'd like to learn more about the research or recommend a Mother, please visit us at MotherhoodAdvantage.com @MotherhoodAdvantage with Dr. Laura Marie Rivera