Patricia Gauthier

What is the biggest challenge facing women leaders in our industry today and how do you overcome it?

I would like to highlight two different challenges that each and every one of us have some control over – putting energy against what I can control instead of giving any power to those I can’t is one of my “modus operandi”.  I truly believe CHANGE starts with ME and YOU:

We sometimes are our worst enemy by putting barriers up for ourselves and as such we refrain from PLAYING BIG in the places that deserve our most and best energy. To overcome this, we can:

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• Develop and foster strong self-confidence,

• Catch ourselves when we create “barriers” or excuses and reframe our own narrative/story

• Foster the ability to dream and play big: develop clear objectives aligned to your vision

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We also need to learn to say NO to the things that don’t align and therefore don’t require our energy. This focus will enable you to play at the most strategic level you can for yourself and your career. While I fully encourage everyone so say YES to new adventures and endeavours, be strategic! Women sometimes try to be everything for everyone around them and do everything. You always have a choice of where you spend your attention, energy and time. Be strategic with where you allocate your most precious resources and ensure it aligns with your personal and professional objectives. If it does not align, say NO! Focus on the ESSENTIALS to maximize your IMPACT both in your personal and professional lives and please, learn to say NO with grace without feeling guilty! Learn to let go. Embrace strategic focus to amplify your impact 😊

What is the leadership/business framework you use most often to help you lead effectively?

2x2 Matrix

I find the 2x2 matrix very helpful. I use it with different variables on the x and y axis, depending on the situation.

You can simply use the Matrix or, depending on the complexity, you could also invest time in a couple of steps I think are key precursors:

• Clearly identifying the problem and root cause or real question to focus on. This step is critical and often overlooked.

• Seek to understand the context and various perspectives

As an example, taking the challenge of saying NO, you could use the 2x2 matrix with the: IMPACT vs. LIKELIHOOD variables to help you identify where to spend more time i.e. in the high impact/high likelihood quadrant vs delegating when one of the 2 variables is low vs saying NO to the quadrant where both variables are low.

This is a simple concept and it is important to pick the relevant variables to support the analysis.

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What trend in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry doesn't get enough attention?

One of the trends that requires attention is the value chain in biopharma i.e. how do we redesign the value chain with various stakeholders to deliver real and differentiated value to patients and customers while developing a competitive advantage for organizations. We need to think beyond the current business model to deliver service and experience to the various stakeholders that creates such value that they are willing to “lock themselves in” to be part of a specific biopharma company supply chain.

The challenge is in integrating this principle across the entire value chain, similar to what Apple achieved. It means building a suite of services starting with R&D, CRO, CMO, Clinical development partnerships and then a fulsome and relevant digital offering by building the strongest relationships with the best organizations in the world to deliver on those elements across the different points in the value chain.  Companies that develop and execute a strong value chain strategy for the long term and can scale it up could have a significant competitive advantage.

What is the most important thing you learned from a professional failure?

I am a lifelong learner and I have a tendency to be energized by big challenges. When I fail, I focus on what I l can learn from the situation. Overall, I would say that failing has taught me two things:

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• Empathy is an essential leadership quality – failures have taught me the importance of taking broader perspective and have improved my ability to walk in somebody else’s shoes.

• I am way stronger than I give myself credit for - I have come to be more compassionate with myself and I give myself time to process and “sit” with negative emotions without dwelling.

This reflection also reminds me that resilience is a “muscle”: the only way to strengthen your “resilience muscle” is to let it face adversity occasionally.