Meet Member
Asma Kamran
What is the biggest challenge facing women leaders in our industry today and how do you overcome it?
Gender Bias
Emotional sensitivity as a weakness
Working across various markets, I have observed that women leaders are not very well accepted by all men and that having a family negates our ability to work hard or to work long hours similar to our male counterparts. Also, if women show vulnerability or sensitivity then this is perceived as a weakness and the woman is tagged as being unable to cope under pressure or being too emotional or sensitive.
How do you overcome it?
Open discussions on gender diversity at various forums within the team meeting. Set expectations from the start and continue to reiterate by having open and honest conversations to voice opinions about how they feel. I share my vulnerability with my team and let others on the team know that showing their sensitivity and vulnerability is not a bad thing, it’s a sign of being human.
What is the leadership/business framework you use most often to help you lead effectively?
I use something very simple that I have learned from various models and books on raising children: 1) acknowledge and recognize, 2) be specific in your praise and critique, and 3) label the behaviors, not the person.
A few others that I have learned by observing other leaders are: 1) servant leadership, 2) humility, 3) deep listening, and 4) ensuring that my value, words, and action are perfectly aligned.
What trend in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry doesn't get enough attention?
No surprise that trending these days is vaccines for COVID and it is getting enough attention. What doesn’t get much attention is Artificial Intelligence to solve the lengthy and expensive drug discovery problem, and AI technology running trials in lesser time and getting drugs delivered to patients much earlier than before.
What are the most important decisions you make as a leader?
We don’t have to make all decisions ourselves as leaders, of course, depends on what kind of circumstances, situations, or projects we/teams are working on. We as leaders should be creating a culture of “empowerment’, ‘dare to lead’, and “clear accountability & responsibility” so that teams can make their decisions and consult & align with us along the way as needed.
What is a leader's role in creating culture?
A very powerful one, as our teams always look up to us. What leaders demonstrate trickles down and is embedded within the team. We need to ensure that our values, words, and actions perfectly align so that we inspire others to do the same. If we want to create a culture of trust, celebration, and inclusive decision making we have to demonstrate it every day, every moment, in our talks, discussions, and by practical examples, doing it ourselves, demonstrating it continuously to ensure that it is embedded.