Successful Leaders

Demonstrate System / Critical Thinking

  • •E.g., gender-based analysis+:

    •be cognisant of how gender is the most fundamental source of differentiation we make of people;

    •be critical – challenge assumptions and ideas of gender neutrality;

    •be systematic – by applying this lens consistently and thoroughly and be transparent

Encourage and Support Innovation

Orient Themselves Strategically to the Future

Champion and Orchestrate Change

EDI-Informed System Transformation

Ivy Lynn Bourgeault, University of Ottawa & Canadian Health Workforce Network

Successful leaders think systemically to help achieve System Transformation, the final S in the LEADS Framework. System transformation is not only focused on the health system, but also on systems that perpetuate inequity, lack of diversity, and exclusion within the health system, be that sexism, racism, ableism, classism, ageism or settler colonialism. This can be daunting for health leaders but it builds on the previous elements of the LEADS Framework. By leading from where they are presently situated, successful leaders can champion and orchestrate systemic change. The first capability, systems thinking, can be augmented through tools such as Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+), where the plus refers to other EDI dimensions of visible minority and Indigenous status, and disability, among others. A GBA+ perspective encourages leaders to be cognisant of the forms of differentiation, to challenge commonly held assumptions (i.e., unconscious bias) and to systematically apply this lens consistently and transparently across all leadership activities. The federal Department for Women and Gender Equality (WAGE), formerly Status of Women Canada, hosts a number of GBA+ tools as a starting point. EDI-informed systems transformation requires leaders to move beyond their own leadership journey and develop capabilities to strategically assess which key societal structures pose the strongest barriers to EDI and to strategically orient themselves to support innovation and champion change.

The Path Forward: Using Metrics to Promote Equitable Work Environments

This paper addresses how women are underrepresented in medicine, particularly in leadership roles and the barriers that they face because of their race, gender and ethnicities. It presents metrics that institutions and professional organizations can use to monitor in implementing EDI.

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Women's Participation in Leadership Roles in a Single Canadian Paramedic Service.

This article asseses women participation in leadership roles in paramedicine and concludes that women are underrepresented in leadership roles.

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Leadership for change: how medical associations are working toward equity, diversity, and inclusion.

The first paper in the four-paper series "Leadership for change"presents the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians frameworks, EDI strategies and institutional programs.

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Using vignettes about racism from health practice in Aotearoa to generate anti-racism interventions

This paper examines racism, microaggressions and discrimintaion in New Zealand. It presents anti-racism interventions on micro, meso and macro levels.

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Race, Health & Happiness

Navigating professional life as a "racialized" person can be exhausting. Join Dr. O, a Public Health Physician Specialist in Toronto, as she interviews guests who are overcoming the obstacles of overt and institutionalized racism to achieve their professional goals while creating healthy and fulfilling lives. If you'd like to learn about thriving in the face of adversity while staying well, this is the podcast for you.

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Call it out

A 30-minute interactive eCourse that offers a foundation for learning about race, racial discrimination and human rights protections under Ontario's Human Rights Code. The course offers a historical overview of racism and racial discrimination, explains what “race,” “racism” and “racial discrimination” mean, and provides approaches to preventing and addressing racial discrimination.

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Eleven things not to say to your female colleagues

The examples in the article demonstrate that sexism remains an issue in the headache medicine workplace and our professional societies. The authors hope these examples make readers more aware of problematic behavior, and give them ideas about how to intervene.

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3 Things Men Must Stop Doing to Decrease Unconscious Gender Bias in the Healthcare Workplace

The Cupcake Conundrum (expect women and men to play different roles), the Bias Backcheck (don't ask woman colleague what you would not ask a male colleague), and a Doctor is a Doctor is a Doctor ( introduce women with their title) are three things men can stop doing to reduce unconscioud gender bias in the workplace.

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We need to stop "untitling" and "uncredentialing" professional women

The article covers "untitling," a gender prejudice in which women with professional titles are frequently referred to by their first names, whilst males are given titles. It defines "uncredentialing" and provides techniques for combating these prejudices, focusing on leadership accountability and courteous correction.

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How Discrimination Against Female Doctors Hurts Patients $

Discrimination against women in medicine, such as altered admission tests, harms both female doctors and patient safety. Studies reveal that female physicians provide better care with lower mortality rates. Eliminating barriers to women's advancement and promoting gender diversity in medicine is crucial for equitable healthcare and improving medical outcomes.

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