✕
☰

Women in Pharma: Reimagining the glass ceiling

by

A scientist by training with a PhD in Organic Chemistry, Barbara Morgan is responsible for the Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical businesses, including the CDMO division of the Lubrizol Life Science Health unit.  She is passionate about women in leadership and science and is the co-chair for Women in Lubrizol Leadership (WILL). In this series, she discusses key themes around women in the industry and offers advice for aspiring female leaders and their wider teams.

Whenever I’m asked about the ‘glass ceiling’, the answer is never straightforward. Of course, obstacles exist to women reaching leadership positions, but it doesn’t all boil down to gender. There are other factors to consider.

An often-missed point is that a glass ceiling can exist for different leadership styles irrespective of gender. In the corporate world, many of the recognised leadership qualities are typically some combination of decisiveness, dynamism and assertiveness.  When an individual embodies these qualities, they align with the industry leadership ideal and is at an advantage regardless of gender. However, those with a different approach to leadership - and women often fall into this category -  may be exposed to more obstacles as their characteristics go against the status quo.

For more women to reach the top positions, it’s important that the industry works towards redefining its understanding of leadership by embracing different styles. The highly extroverted and assertive leadership style that we are accustomed to in business may show up differently in women. We have to be inclusive and open to allow female leaders to be authentic to themselves and not feel pressured to personify the accepted leadership style.

Adding to the complexity, the glass ceiling is often unintentional as people are unaware that they are putting it in place or why.  To address the issue a larger cultural shift must occur. Questions and uncertainties will undoubtedly arise: how can we best accommodate for the change? What will it look like when we are there? It can be difficult to know where to begin, and even when companies are paving the way for a balanced culture, there can still be a level of uncertainty around the topic and how to encourage an open and inclusive dialogue amongst employees.  And to be honest, these are not always comfortable conversations, and most have a strong desire to ‘get it right’, which often makes them hesitant. 

Because of this hesitancy, teams may need a little push to have these conversations.  And with that encouragement, it is helpful to provide a reminder that the quickest way to shut down future conversations on the topic, is to react with judgement and a zero-sum approach.  Openness and curiosity lead to collaboration, while judgement puts up walls.  Interpreting questions of inquiry negatively or responding with a “change is difficult” comment is often counter-productive to the end goal.  

At Lubrizol, we are committed to addressing these issues and strengthening our diversity profile through initiatives designed to facilitate female career progression. Women are supported through a number of mentoring and leadership programs. During my own career at the company, I have received support since day one through development programmes, mentorship, and having sponsors unlock access to the right people and opportunities. This has given me a multitude of growth experiences and exemplifies how with the right support and initiatives in place, there are no barriers to moving toward the top.

While individual companies play a role, the issue needs to be addressed on a wider level with consistent effort across the industry to create waves of change. Things won’t change overnight, but the push for change is a positive step. We’ve now gone beyond simply discussing the issue and businesses are taking clear action and setting goals. At the same time, we cannot only focus on the senior management positions and neglect the rest of the talent pipeline. We must engage women at the very first promotion and ensure they are not falling off along the way.

Finally, and most importantly, we need to recognise that this isn’t a women-only issue. Everybody needs to rally round and come together. We need to be united in the drive towards diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. That requires an inclusive approach where all genders are part of the discussions and actions, where they look to share their experiences, offer opportunities to aspiring employees, and seek diverse perspectives. 

So, in that spirit, my main advice for aspiring female leaders at any stage of their career journey would be:

Back to topbutton